A Symphony of Flowers - A Knight's Devotion (Past Fiction)
by sapphirexoxo1412
Summary: Ever wondered how the renowned "Silent Shion" received the scars upon his back? Ever realized why he would never speak of his beloved, Kanon? Have you ever wondered why Okinu, the messenger of the knights relinquished her feelings for the golden-haired knight? All your answers lie in this very piece, amid the tantalizing florescence that captured Shion's heart...


**A Symphony of Flowers – AKD Past Fiction **

Did you know that flowers could sing?

Nature has a voice. Every single note presents an ethereal enchantment – the melody of the wind as it dances through the woods, akin to a heavenly crescendo, ones played by the farthest right keys on the piano. A dazzling soprano, one that lifts your spirits, elevates your soul as it surrounds you, demanding your attention as it resonates with the secret song within your heart. The golden rays of the sun – its thin films of the most radiant color, as if centralizing all the beauty of the world in a celestial embrace, a divine symphony of the boundless evermore. Almost like…bathing in molten happiness, enveloped by the sunny tones of a languorous afternoon as the grass softly caresses against your cheek;

The cynosure of it all would inevitably be the flowers. They, like everything else within nature, possesses their own unique symphony, ones that express vibrantly their thoughts, feelings, and _voice._ Each flower has its own voice – whether it be the bewitching tenor of persistent dogwood, or the enlightening alto of summer lilac, or perhaps, even some impeccable conflation of the two. They dance, they twirl, they shuffle against the breeze, rhythmically displaying their every step, their every breath, their every fleeting performance;

Only the purest of hearts could hear the voice of nature.

_At least, that was what Shion had always believed. _

Going to that meadow had become a tradition now. Every year he would gather a bouquet of white roses; every year, on this particular day, he would visit her grave, one erected at the center of this sea of flowers. He didn't know at the time why his companions had chosen this spot for her burial. He had always thought of flowers as tedious, insignificant beings that were always carelessly trampled on; so when Haku and Okinu first suggested placing her tombstone in a meadow, he had misunderstood their implications.

He had thought that perhaps, just maybe, she was trampled, just like any other nameless flower that died here.

As time went on, little by little, Shion grew to understand. She was the embodiment this place, the place where she would lie still for eternities to come – just like a flower, even upon her death, she still had the otherworldly air that marker her as his dearest…_friend._ She hadn't gone, just like the furious flowers that had blossomed directly after her burial, she would forever live on, in his heart, in his memories, in the efflorescent rows that would perpetuate her grave.

_ She would be there, every single year to meet him. _

He walked down a small stone path, one that separated his footsteps from the waltzing floral waves. Her grave was of the lightest dove grey, the stone chosen exclusively to commemorate her purity, her spirit, and in the end, her stubborn, _stubborn love for him_.

Shion knelt down before the grass, his honey-hazel eyes made molten by the glittering sunrise. With care, he lowered the bouquet of roses upon her tomb, and brushed aside some of the niveous petals that obscured the last character of her name.

The wind picked up behind him, blowing his hair against his cheek; irritated, Shion combed his fingers through his golden gossamers, and chuckled at his sudden nostalgic movement;

"It really is getting troublesome, having to come here every single year." He mouthed, his smile serene.

"How have you been, Kanon?" his syllables were muffled by the rushing tempests of morning, the diaphanous rays of dawn casting his face a magnificent chiaroscuro as they revealed themselves from behind the distant mountains.

"It's been another year."

**Chapter 1 – The Last of the Ordinary **

"Tsk. Go away Lute."

Shion turned within his blankets, his head still groggy from the lack of sleep he'd received the night previous. If he had known that enrolling in Rapier's Knight Academy would require him to get up at the same tedious time every morning, he'd have thrown his application in the fire ages ago.

_What's done is done_. He thought as he hid his head beneath his large pillow, and was just about to enter dreamland once more when Lute forcefully yanked his blankets off, exposing him to the chilly morning breeze.

If he could kill with his gaze, and gaze alone; then Lute would probably have been dead a billion times over.

"Shion, get up! It's only the very first day and you're already neglecting your duties!" Lute said, his brows narrowed tightly together.

"No. Go away Lute." If Shion had a penny for every single time Lute had chastised him over the past week alone, he'd probably be rich enough to double Rapier's national budget. _Probably._

Lute sighed, his eyes faltering as the first colors of dawn surreptitiously filtered through their open window. Shion a great friend, certainly one of the most reliable Lute had ever met; however, his sluggish mannerism and insouciance towards pretty much everything frustrated him to no ends. Sometimes, just sometimes, he wished he could beat a new personality into him.

"Are you finished yet?" Haku absentmindedly combed his fingers through his long brown strands. His airy pajamas drooped torpidly from his legs as he propelled himself up from his bed, fatigue and annoyance evident upon his wrinkled nose. "Lute, do you seriously have to do this every single morning?"

Lute crossed his arms over his chest, and Shion's blanket dangled from his hand to the textured wooden floors, "I'm simply fulfilling the duties of a friend."

Shion groaned into the feathery depths of his pillow, the morning chill now dominating his every senses, which he admitted, albeit begrudgingly succeeded in waking him up. At that point he pretty much wanted to get dressed; however, as routine dictated, he definitely opposed the idea of leaving his bed without putting up a fight against Lute. He hadn't won, since, well, forever.

He crumpled in a fetal position when Lute attempted to hoist him up by his shoulders. He leaned the center of his weight in a manner that he knew his cinnamon aroma-wearing companion would never be able to conquer, and smiled vaguely when Lute gave up, throwing his hands in the air,

"Haku, will you help me?" Shion could somewhat hear Haku's treasure chest being opened and searched through, followed by his light footsteps traversing along the floorboard. However, what had really caught his attention was the piercing bells of the stony clock tower; one irrationally loud and unimaginably close to their dormitory. He must have had the luck of the devil to have been appointed in such painful room, on top of having to endure Lute and Haku's annoying banter every single minute,

Haku seemed to have deliberated for a second before he spoke, his tone alarmingly roguish, "Lute, that's because your method of persuasion is stupid." _Oh, and you can do better?_ Shion challenged mentally.

He wasn't particularly in luck that day. It was that time of year again, when birds unanimously migrated to warmer region, when vegetation shrivelled in unison to await their revival next spring – the entire kingdom was coated in a blanked of thick snow, one that agonizingly reflected brilliant rays of sunlight against every surface perceivable. Shion had never been a morning person; he'd always preferred a less visually stimulating environment, but as his terrible fortune would have it, he'd have to squint for perhaps the rest of the semester.

He heard a faint shuffling noise, felt a nearing heat and finally, shivered noticeably to Haku's hot breath against his ear,

"I wonder what Kanon would say to our little dilemma every morning…"

Haku laughed when Shion shot up comically from his bed, the thin collars of his shirt still undone from his morning wresting session with Lute.

"…" Shion glared at him with annoyance. Haku's laughter soon became prominent as he observed the profuse blush rising on Shion's cheeks, painting his pale complexion with the long awaited signatures of color, ones befitting of Rapier's winter morning.

"Get dressed, we're going to be late."

White, _white_, _**white**_.

Shion furrowed his honey-shaded brows, squinting painstakingly into the morning light. The scenery that morning had been his least favorite combination – a torturous coalesces of blinding snow and sun. Although his walk from his building to the academy courtyard was quite short, consisting of no more than a couple rows of leafless tress and dull grey pavements, he still couldn't shake off his irate feeling of not being able to read properly amidst his journey.

_So annoying…_

He lifted his scarf so that the rich wool concealed the apex of his nose, obscuring the small clouds of heat that would emanate from his lips every time he breathed. That was but one aspect he found irritating about winter: everyone exhaled like they were casting their souls out of their mouths. There was something innately creepy about the notion, not that Shion was scared of ghosts or anything, but the idea just seemed…unsanitary. Because of this particular pet-peeve of his, he always walked with his head down, his gaze avoiding any air puffs the other students would elatedly form.

He raised his fingers in recognition when someone ran past him, wishing him good morning as he darted across the campus. Lute had always been edgy about this habit of his – he thought of it as impolite, inconsiderate even that he would rather wave than return a kind greeting. In fact, Shion had heard the exact same lecture so many times that he could recite Lute's exact choice of diction upon memory. It wasn't that he couldn't remember what their names were; _hell_, he could even provide a detailed physical description of every single person in the academy just by hearing their voice. He just…didn't quite have the heart to smile to every single one of their boring faces.

Shaking his head from Lute's curse, Shion retrieved the book he held under his arm and turned to a folded corner. He scanned the familiar rows quickly until he reached a foreign line, and at once divulged into the script with unwavering attention,

Why did he suddenly become interested in the genre of romance? He couldn't quite put a finger on it himself. Romance had always stricken him as something superfluous and completely unnecessary, something that no rational person would ever want to hinder their daily lives. With the time some of these heroines invest in crying over their beloveds and staring blankly out the window, they could instead do something much more productive, like training to protect the country, or read something _actually _enlightening. However, recently he'd come to understand, little by little why the sales of romance novels had soared so exponentially throughout the kingdom.

There was something addictive of the dream-like narrative: it created within one's head a surreal imagery, those that were far more abstract than the cold, senseless words of philosophy and science. Like a labyrinth of sensation, these books engaged him in countless hours of mystic exchange; deeper, more profound interaction than he could have with any one of his companions.

_Well, _he thought with a smug feeling in his chest, his dark topaz eyes swiftly scanning the last line of the page. _Everyone except for…_

"Shion!" He jumped at the exuberant soprano, followed by an unreasonably harsh slap of his shoulders. Granted that his thick uniform cushioned most of her assault, he still couldn't help but raise his fingers to the spot where she had just hit,

"What do you want." He sighed, and Okinu's lustrous ponytail lightly brushed the side of his cheek as her loud features entered his line of vision. Perhaps out of everyone in the academy, she was the only person who could sneak up on him without him detecting her presence,

Her large transparent eyes bore into his, and inch by inch she arched her face closer, the rosy undertones of her poreless skin in startling contrast against the monotonous white of their surroundings.

"What are you doing?" he enquired. Okinu shook her head angrily as Shion's large palm descended on her face, blockading her breath as well as sight;

"Shion, stop touching me!" She wailed, swatting his hand away with an exaggerated wave of her own. She stared indignantly at the man before her, who appeared to have yawned into the folds of his scarf, his eyes crinkling as incandescent tears emerged at their corners,

"Sheesh, how are you ever going to get a girlfriend like this?" Shion looked at her with a dubious expression, his acute mind predicting exactly where she would lead the conversation. Unlike himself and Lute, who were renown across the academy for their impeccable grades and combating techniques, Okinu was famous for her uncanny stealth and well, gossiping skills. There wasn't anything, even a mouse's whistle that escaped her sharp senses; however unfortunately for her, she also had an unpredictable tendency – much to her own annoyance – of overanalyzing situations.

"You know, if you were more attentive, girls might actually approach you." She placed her arms over her waist and shook her head, feigning disappointment.

"Sometimes I wonder how Lute's mannerisms haven't rubbed off on you yet." Supressing the impulse to laugh in her face, Shion widened his eyes at her, desperately trying not to twitch his eyebrows,

"Lute's fanclubs are really annoying." he said, and Okinu shrugged,

"Popularity comes at a price." She winked mischievously at him, and he frowned in confusion. _What was that about? _He wondered, his concentration distracting him from when she adroitly grabbed his book out of his gloved hands,

"Ohhh!" she carolled, "Isn't this the book Kanon was reading the other day?" as if to prove her point, she flipped through the pages, spilling the scent of history and parchment furiously between the air around them,

"Give that back." He demanded, his voice bubbling with irritation. Almost as if to further agitate him, Okinu stuck her tongue out at him and ran, her leather boots blurring into faint pastorals as she dashed towards the academy's front entrance.

_Why do I even talk to her, _Shion implored momentarily before he commenced his chase, his speed even more alarming, more terrifying than Okinu's. There was a reason why he was reverenced – not only because his mind was quicker than a hummingbird's wings, but also because his physical strength paralleled Rapier's current knight commander, the legendary Gaia himself. He was fast, faster than, Luke, Haku, the rest of his year,

_And definitely faster than Okinu. _

Catching up to her within seconds, Shion non-too gently pulled on her flying ponytail and yanked her back, causing her lissome figure to collide against his broad chest. She groaned, immediately diverting her hands to her hair, and Shion took the opportunity to steal his book back from her grasp.

"You're a pain, you know that?" Before she could announce her protest, Shion jogged lightheartedly into the door of his classroom, his spirits elevated by his first triumphant conquest that morning. Their instructor had not yet arrived, and between the rows of polished desks and chairs, his classmates chatted animatedly of subjects Shion neither possessed the patience nor interest to tolerate. Settling into his desk, he slumped forward and buried his head within his arms, his scarf crumping tickishly against his chin.

The cacophony of noises around him was suddenly tuned out. To sleep on command was Shion's most prized talent - he was able to ignore every irrelevant voice in the world and exclusively concentrate on relaxing in his own bubble of contentment. He could command _his _world, and not even Lute had the power to disrupt him in the realm of dreams.

"Shion, are you alright?" His eyes shot open. Of some mystical magic, her euphonious message never failed to shocked him to the bone, relieving him of all weariness as he felt her weight settle on their joined benches. The scent of freshly cut flowers traversed ruthlessly into his nostrils, and he shook his head rapidly back and forth to rid himself of her intoxicating fragrance.

He raised his head sluggishly, but his eyes were uncharacteristically sharp as he glanced at her curious face, a phantom of a smile playing about his lips,

"Morning. Kanon."

**Chapter 2 - The Assignment **

She looked the same, just like always.

Her waist long hair was arranged in the most unruly fashion – the individual strands tangled into something that resembled autumn foliage, something that Shion supressed on a daily basis the urge to run his fingers adoringly through. Unlike Okinu, who spent lavish hours on her pristine appearance, Kanon was more laid back in how she looked, and he had to admit, he preferred her natural beauty to countless sheets of powder and blush. Despite how messy her hair was, it curled down her erect back in large, voluminous waves that barely touched the bench when she sat down, and was at the moment, hidden behind her slim waist as she peered worriedly into his face,

"You look tired." She mouthed, "Are you not getting enough sleep lately?"

He rested his head on his palm. He couldn't remember a time where she was inattentive; unlike Lute, whose nagging annoyed him beyond his wits, her way of showing anxiety was softer, more…acceptable, he would say.

"I never get enough sleep."

She laughed, her bouncy curls quivering with her every movement. The sounds coming from her lips were contagious, so contagious that Shion himself couldn't help but smile along.

There had been rumors circulating across the academy, that the lonesome prince Shion finally found his girl, the lovely warrior princess Kanon. Obviously, the tale was started by their mutual, unfortunately, friend, Okinu, who somehow managed to detect Shion's effervescent emotions despite his efforts to conceal them. Thankfully, Shion thought smugly to himself, Kanon remained oblivious to these rumors, or at least, she appeared to be, to him anyway.

_So how the hell did Okinu find out?_

Speaking of the devil, the girl in question collapsed in the desk seat directly in front of him, her previously destroyed ponytail now as impeccable as ever. She glared annoyingly at Shion, who adverted his eyes from her condescending gaze, hoping desperately in his head that she wouldn't speak anything evocative towards Kanon. Much to his gratification, she didn't utter a word on the subject, but instead retrieved two sheets of parchment from inside her bag and slid them across his desk.

"It's the signup sheet for the new mission." Her huge eyes stared unpityingly at Shion, who stopped the irate trail of friction with his forefinger.Kanon peered into its contents, her body alarmingly close to Shion's shoulder, causing the latter to cringe to their proximity…_she smelled nice_, he thought, ignorant to the blush that now adorned his cheeks.

He had been so absorbed in stealing glances towards Kanon that he completely neglected Okinu's amused glare, which was why he jumped from his seat when she whistled, pretending to swoon as she sang,

"So, should I sign you guys up for a couple's discount?" Shion narrowed his eyes at her, and in response received her signature wink.

Kanon's silence had been pregnant with possibilities, and until this day Shion could not decipher the makings of her mind as she blurted her next words, almost as if rushing from a terrible predicament. "Are there any requirements?"

Okinu shook her head, "Yeah, they want only the most skilled apprentices. That means you have to be in the top 10 of the entireeeeee academy." Something appeared to have escaped her, for she added with deliberation, "Or if you're like Haku, who sucks at everything else but excels at the bow and arrow."

"Luckily for the two of you, none of that will be an issue." He looked at Kanon, who appeared to have been engaged in deep contemplation. There was something entrancing about that faraway look in her dove-grey irises, as if she was gazing tenderly into a faraway realm of endless beauty, of dissipating shades of rainbows and mystic rain. He would give anything to share her glance; however, if he stared any longer, he would likely provoke another undesirable taunt from Okinu.

"Shion, what do you think?" Kanon asked, her thin, filmy strands whipping against her cheek as she turned her head. Shion suddenly felt incredibly hot, like his entire existence was condensed into a million suns, and he tried his best to sound nonchalant whilst adjusting his scarf to allow some air into his lungs.

"It doesn't sound too bad." As an afterthought, he supplemented, "It'll help us gain points towards actually gaining knighthood." That was a lie – the very idea of extracurricular work daunted him, but the way Kanon enquired was so earnest, and he couldn't help but explore the potentiality that if they both got in, they would be working alongside one another in perfect syncopation.

Kanon smiled endearingly at him, while Okinu shot out of her seat with an exaggerated solicit to the heavens, her slim arms spread out dramatically from her sides. For a second there, Shion actually worried that she would rip her much too tight uniform into shreds, directly in front of every other soul within their large classroom. _Though, it might just teach her a lesson to shut up once in a while_, he thought.

"YES!" she exclaimed, and was greeted immediately with the leathery covers of a large textbook crashing with the back of her head. Okinu crunched forward, and was just about to protest when her face ashened, her eyes widening with fear as their instructor pointed the sheath of his sword towards her.

"If you make one more peep, Miss Okinu, I will have you suspended for the rest of the semester."

Defeated, she slumped onto her bench, and Shion stifled his laughter into his navy blue scarf. The class went silent at once, each feverishly taking notes on something he knew they had absolutely no knowledge of. As a matter of fact, it was those very idiots that sought him out on a regular basis, pleading for him to enter private tutoring sessions with them. Ironically, none of them were guys.

Shion averted his head to outside the window, drowning out the authoritative voice of their teacher as he watched the nebulous clouds slowly clear, unearthing the perhaps coeternal pastels of nameless blue. He pondered over the various shapes of the clouds, their each form somehow having mythic silver linings; what bothered him more was the fact that he saw _flowers. _Roses, lilacs, lotuses, lilies – they were like harbingers of what haunted him day and night, reminding him of the foreign sensation that he constantly tried to repress.

Those feelings once again bubbled up when he felt a soft nudge on the side of his arm, followed by the gentle graze of parchment underneath his fingertips. With a smug feeling within his heart, he picked up the note, still scented with her florescent aura,

"_I'm glad that we'll be working together." he read._

He remembered how he sighed in exasperation when they arrived at the courtyard – the place Okinu said held the selection trials for their mission.

He didn't exactly understand the mechanism behind this peculiar assignment; or rather, he didn't really care. It sounded simple enough: the top knight apprentices were to be collected, and in turn they would accompany the legendary knight commander Gaia himself, along with several other guards to escort Rapier's King, Ando to Gladius kingdom for diplomatic purposes. Now, to protect the king in such proximity was the greatest honor a knight such as himself could acquire, as it could ensure a lifetime of job security and, in Shion's case, an admirable salary to supply his reading addiction. Just the thought of it thrilled him, and he practically sprinted like a madman across the campus, earning himself the aggravated protests from Okinu and Kanon as they struggled to keep up with him.

However, when he actually got there, his mind immediately went numb. What he had failed to anticipate was the colossal crowd of students, each bearing identical uniforms and equally annoying smiles across their features. _Of course_, he thought as he dropped his head, _only an idiot would let this type of opportunity go to waste. _

"Alright, listen up everybody." At the sound of academy headmaster's booming voice, everyone straightened their back instantaneously, all traces of humor wiped from their eyes. Shion chuckled briefly at the comical scene, only to have Kanon nudge him gently in the ribs, signalling him to pay attention.

"We're all gathered here for an invaluable prospect, one that could very well determine the scope of each of your futures as potential knights." He raised his hands in majesty, and the crowd roared, throwing their arms up in the air in unison as an atmosphere of inexplicable excitement quickly dominated the snowy scenery. Even Okinu roared, her ponytail dancing exuberantly by her swinging body;

Kanon, on the other hand, appeared completely loss at what to do as her lively grey eyes scanned the bellowing sea of students before her. She wasn't the loud or boisterous type, Shion thought, a warm feeling suddenly enveloping his heart. Just like him, she preferred the warm and incandescent glow of evening fires and a cherished book to the active outdoors – in fact, she was perhaps even more introverted than he was. Okinu was her closest friend, and aside from some occasional chatter with Lute and exchange of insults with Haku, she would, like him, greet off other acquaintances with a friendly smile and flawless mannerisms;

_Which begged the perpetual question – where was Shion's placement in her heart?_

"In order to ensure that only the most talented of you may join the King on his expedition," his headmaster's message shook Shion free from his thoughts, and he begrudgingly returned his attention to the laughable white beard before his cloak,

"We shall commence our trials by the order of your grades." Okinu whined at that, and Shion rolled his eyes in annoyance. Due to the ruthless competition of Knight academy, everyone's ranking of skill formed a transparent hierarchy, much to the dismay of many, many students. Also because of the same circumstances, the academy established a mob mentality of worshipping the excellent, and parading upon the less…gifted, should he put it honestly. Unfortunately for Shion, he was ranked second in the entire school, his constant lassitude placing him only several paces after his diligent companion, Lute.

Predictably, Lute was summoned upon the stadium first. Shion had always thought of the placement of the academy of the utmost efficiency – the stage was placed at the center of an expanding circle, where countless stone benches were elevated directly proportionate to their distance from the center. That way, one could hear with lucidity no matter what location they presented themselves at. If only the rest of the academy was as well constructed…

Shion raised his brow at Lute, who smiled angelically to his screeching female fans. _Would he ever grow tired of fanservicing? _He shook his head as their most prestigious instructor approached Lute, sword steady in his hand.

The two bowed elegantly, and Shion affixed his eyes in concentration as Lute drew his own weapon with an elegant whoosh of his hand, an invigorating depiction of magnificent motion. He didn't notice when his fists clenched together as the two fought it out, their brows knitted in focus as their silver blades clashed together, the metallic sound shivering many within the speculators. Okinu clutched Shion's jacket, and jumped when Lute dodged a dangerously near strike by inches only; however, his momentary disadvantage was quickly overcome as he advanced from the side and hooked his sword beneath his opponents', knocking the latter slightly off balance.

Shion had been much too interested in the competition, so it perfectly justified the fact that he missed Kanon's questioning gaze at his closeness with Okinu. He didn't notice as her effeminate brows furrowed, but he did retain the decency to cheer when Lute rose his sword to their instructor's neck, who grinned in satisfaction and announced Lute as one of the candidates for the King's expedition. With a practiced bow, Lute lowered his head, igniting another furious wave of screams from his fangirls.

As he descended the stage, Shion sighed. The headmaster had once again occupied the center of the ring, and in an almost antedating tone beckoned Shion's arrival. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, and slowly closed his own, immensely bothered at their augmented irises and redundant whispers. Unlike Lute, who welcomed his worshippers with open arms, Shion's devotees were more secretive as they loomed silently behind him, something he attributed widely to his typically hostile disposition.

Just as he was about to ascend, he felt a soft touch on his wrists, and stiffened to the now familiar sensation. _That was all he needed, and all he'll ever want. _

_ Always. _

_ "Be careful up there." _Almost as an afterthought, Kanon smiled brilliantly as she tilted her head, her messy curls muffled charmingly by the winter airs, _"And do your best."_

His eyes lingered in hers, just a moment too long for everyone's comfort. Okinu cleared her throat with excessive ferocity, causing him to quickly jog up the stony stairs to face his challenger.

His battle was pretty much a routine for him – unlike most of the apprentices, who specialized in one exclusive weapon, he could simultaneously employ the power of two, which made him a formidable foe for even his teachers. When he was sidetracked by a sword, he can release the gun concealed in his jacket and attack for the side, or sometimes even worse: directly at his opponent's heart.

Though, from his own perspective, the way he fought was pretty plebeian. He didn't understand why everyone held their breaths when he moved, nor when they trembled when he dashed across the stage with silent, almost quiescent footsteps. _He was just fast, so why were they making such big deals out of it?_

He wasn't particularly elated when his instructor signified his victory even before he could retrieve his gun. Unmistakably, the people beneath him once again bellowed the congratulations; however, all of that remained utterly irrelevant to him. In fact, everything else became at once indistinct in his vision, everything save for her faint smile and her soft, warm grasp of her fingers,

"_I knew you could do it._" He didn't care whether or not he blushed, all he wanted to do was to hug her tight and twirl her around, proclaiming his affections with every single soul in the academy as their testimony. If it wasn't for the untimely broadcast of the next assessor, he probably would have attempted it such,

"_Miss Kanon, please proceed to the stage_."

**Chapter 3 – Regrouping**

A loud slam commenced, immediately drawing Lute's altered attention towards their gaping door. Shion rolled onto his back, groaning as he tried to filter out the voice of Lute's accusatory roars and concentrated on his book. He had just completed the first two chapters, and couldn't help but wonder where the whether or not the main protagonist would proclaim his love to his dearest friend. However, Shion thought with a bitter feeling in his mouth, the series was a fated tragedy; so no matter how hard they fought against the iron grasps of fate, they were doomed to perish in a vile disclosure.

"Lute! Shion!" Shion tilted his head back so he could attain an inverted image of Haku's triumphant grin, "Guess who'll be joining you two in the expedition to Gladius Kingdom?"

Shion raised his brow, while Lute's features transformed into the utmost paragon of astonishment, "If you're not referring to yourself, then this is pretty much the most depressing thing you've ever done."

Lute shot a glare towards Shion, who shrugged in return. "Shion! That's certainly no way to receive such wonderful news!" Rising on feet, Lute offered his hand, and Haku elatedly clasped it, the sound of their palms slamming together loud to an irritating degree. Shion's lustrous bangs fell to the sheets of his bed, revealing his pale forehead as he skeptically said his next words,

"That means the five of us will be going together." Haku's eyes widened in response to his words. Approaching him with eerily silent footsteps, he lowered his head to slightly above Shion's, his filmy brown hair tickling Shion's chin. _Too close_, the latter thought in annoyance.

"Shi, what do you mean by 'the five of us'?"

Much to Shion's gratification, Lute yanked Haku back with a stern look about his face. Pointing into the air in a very scholar-esque fashion, he explained, his tone as if admonishing a mischievous pupil who unintentionally defied a higher order. "Shion's saying that the two of us, also Kanon and Okinu passed the elimination trials!"

Haku blinked, rapidly in succession; as if his mind couldn't immediately register Lute's message. Shion sighed exasperatedly, and before he could tame his befouled tongue, he blurted out,

"Haku wouldn't know, he's not in the top ten, so he couldn't have been there to see our battles."

The man in question huffed his cheeks out indignantly. "Shi, you can be so mean to me sometimes."

As if to enlighten the atmosphere in their candlelit dormitory, or perhaps venturing a lame attempt at changing the subject, Lute brought his fist to his lips and cleared his throat. "But anyway, Haku, you should have arrived earlier, that way you would have seen Kanon and Okinu's trials." Akin to an effervescent afterthought, he added, "They were wonderful."

Shion didn't know of Okinu, but he definitely agreed with Lute's praise of Kanon's fighting skills. Many of his companions compared his movements to a snake – the unparalleled adroitness of his flashing boots, the uncanny precision in which he would fire his gun; even the way his eyes would narrow when concentrating on his target. Truth be told, that particular trait of his was something he prided immensely in; however, compared to Kanon, he was but an idle moon, his dim luminescence shattered mercilessly by her brilliance.

The way she moved was alike a dancer. He recalled with absolute lucidity the way in which she wasted no excess motions, gliding with graceful ease as she fought her opponent. Her docile features were knitted in focus, her sculpted nose made higher by her piercing eyes. Her hair whipped around her like a furious hurricane, the imbricated patterns of its trails so divine that Shion couldn't have helped but stared in awe, his deep topaz irises crystallized on her combating form. It was only when one of her flying gossamers had gotten sliced in two did Shion voice his protest, and instantly reddened his face in reaction to Okinu and Lute's questioning glares,

However fortunately, Kanon too reigned victorious. _Of course, _Shion thought with a gleeful feeling unfolding within his heart, _how could she not win? When she's my-_

"What's going on Shi?" Haku peered at him curiously, "Why are you blushing so hard? Is it too hot in here?"

Much to Shion's dismay, Lute jumped up and too joined in, "Shion? Are you alright? Shall I open the window?" He pretty much flailed his arms running to the windows, and Shion was just about to object when the glass flew open, revealing a caliginous night sky, adorned idly by a few irradiant stars twinkling with their might.

Too tired to explain, he closed his eyes, attempting with herculean effort to drown out the concerned carols of his roommates. _No, Lute, I'm not feverish, nor do I want to consume any of your questionable liquids. No Haku, I don't want to hear your 'ingenious' pick-up lines, there aren't enough girls in Knight Academy for them to go around regardless. _Rolling on his back, Shion hid his face from the bantering two, sighed, and returned to his book;

He was just able to register several new lines of dialogue when their door slammed once more, the now redundant noise causing his eyebrows to twitch uncontrollably in irritation. He seriously considered throwing a pillow at whoever just entered his room, and had just reached his hand over to the corner of his bed when Okinu's elated voice threatened to burst his eardrums.

"Guys! It looks like we'll all be going to Gladius Kingdom together!" she screeched. Someone, presumably Haku, high-fived her, and one of the two definitely knocked something over, something that Shion possessed neither the interest nor the patience to enquire its nature. Deciding he wanted some peace and quiet, he rose to his feet, only to be stopped dead in his tracks.

His world froze. At that moment, every nerve within his body concentrated exclusively, unwaveringly, irrevocably on Kanon. Noticing the irregularity, his lips popped open, at once betraying his awe as he stared, immobile in his stance and gaze.

He couldn't tell if it was the influence of the fire glistening on their table, or if the dormitory was indeed atypically hot; but somehow, Kanon's cheeks appeared rosier than usual. He wanted to ask, but he couldn't possibly assemble the courage, nor the verbal coherency to formulate something non-offensive. Thankfully, Haku saved him from a lifetime of humiliation by addressing the situation head on,

"Kanon." He said with awe, "Why did you cut your hair?"

"Yeah." Lute joined in, "It was so pretty before."

Shion shot Lute an irate glare. Ironically, Haku was more decent around the subject of 'Kanon' than Lute. Despite how academically capable he was, the knight of many fan clubs remained blissfully clueless to just about everything that went on around him. Sometimes Shion couldn't help but wonder whether he was genuinely so blindly ignorant, or did he just use feigned stupidity as an excuse to escape difficult situations, making him _a lot _smarter than he gave him credit for.

"Well," Kanon captured one of her lose strands in her fingers and twirled it around, almost as if reminiscing the times when they extended beyond her shoulders. "It's more convenient like this. If we're going to fend off the King himself, I wouldn't want to hinder potential battle by getting my hair caught between swords or nets or anything…"

Okinu rolled her eyes playfully at her friend. "We're not fighting mermaids, why would you even have to worry about nets? Besides, I'd have to agree with Lute, your long hair did look a lot better."

"Really?" Haku's tone was slightly disturbing as he approached Kanon with a mischievous grin, "I think it looks better like this." Slowly and sensually, his fingers crept up the pale curvature of her collarbones, his mouth close to her ear, "This way, I can have better access to your neck, my sweet Kanon."

Before he could proceed further, Kanon's knuckles met his nose, the encounter permeating a vile crunching sound within the air. Okinu stifled a chuckle as Haku crumpled, clutching his now bruised nose with teary eyes. _Serves him right, _Shion thought with menace, and was surprised to find himself searching Kanon's face for any signs of embarrassment, or, even worse, _enticement. _

Sensing his gaze on her, Kanon looked at him inquisitively, her earnest expression churning Shion's insides.

Somehow sensing the situation, Okinu carolled, deciding to make the atmosphere even more uncomfortable, "Hey, Shion, what do you think of Kanon's new hair?"

He was stunned. There was no way he could answer that question without revealing some profound secret of his. He turned his head as all eyes fixated on him, even Haku, who was still contorted in pain halted his agonized moans to enter the exchange. Seconds droned on as if centuries – the candles behind them must have by then diminished down to bone, laughing at their creators with their horridly spilled guts and blood.

Shion's face burned. _How the hell was he supposed to respond?_

"Still, I can't believe the trip's in three days." Lute's nonchalant statement shattered the tension, and Shion sighed inwardly, suddenly immensely grateful towards his annoying friend. "They really should have warned us of the occasion sooner in advance."

"That's true. I don't even have time to purchase any supplies!" Okinu slopped onto Haku's bed, rolling on her back languidly as if it were her own. Kanon on the other hand walked silently towards Shion's bed and placed herself gingerly on the edge, and Shion's head imploded with the possible implications of her action. _No, after all, Lute's bed was above Haku's. Where else could she go?_

"I don't think we'll be able to bring any excessive supplies." Haku's tone was harsher than usual, his eyes once again watering in pain. "Speaking of supplies, Lute, where are your gauzes and bandages?"

Lute reached within his wooden bed table and tossed him a stream of cascading white lattices. "You're not going to wear those to classes tomorrow?"

"No, I'm not leaving this room looking like a pirate from the last century!" Wrapping himself in gauze, Haku proceeded to conceal the bottom portion of his face, the tight material popping his hair out like a court jester.

"AHAHAHAHAHA. Your look is so ridiculous it should be made illegal!"

"Shut up Okinu, you're just jealous I chose to hit on Kanon instead of you!" He said irately, at once transforming their surroundings into one livelier, _heartier_ than the previous.

Their conversation quickly turned into irrelevant, scattered trails of thoughts. They had exchanged opinions on the miraculous growth of their shortest classmate, who according to Lute, had been rumored to exchange a good deal of a fortune for a height enhancement potion. Unfortunately for him, the side effects included grotesque boils and a rancid skin irritation that speared through every single part of his body. Okinu had pretended to vomit in disgust, but her act was quickly interjected by Haku, who retrieved a vial from his pocket, claiming that he had somehow acquired the potion himself. There had been a brief argument of whether or not they should test its contents on the cactus in the corner of their room – it had truly been a difficult predicament, but the votes were an overbearing majority, the only opposition being Shion himself, claiming that large amounts of liquids might actually kill it instead.

Their ebullient chatter continued on, and eventually over time reached a more serious domain. Shion couldn't remember how they had arrived at the particular subject, but before he knew it, they were conferring over their reasons of joining knighthood. However, he did remember the way the candles dimmed, almost prying the air around them with a permanent majesty.

"To protect those that cannot fend off their enemies." Said Lute, a tender gleam within his eyes. "Isn't that the right thing to do? Those that are born with strength should contribute in sheltering those that are vulnerable. It's how the universe was created, to balance out our attributes and shortcomings in a sacred oath of morality;"

"That's because there's nothing holding you back." Shion recalled the longing manner in which Haku gazed out the open window, the bruise on his nose by then barely visible. "I'm doing this for my sister, so she can finally receive proper treatment for her illness." He shrugged, but Shion could see the resolute fire burning furiously behind his insouciance, "I'm great at the bow and arrow, so becoming a knight seemed like the right way to go."

By the time Okinu ventured her reasons, everyone appeared exhausted: Haku drooped from the corner of Lute's bed, his shoulders almost towering over the thin wood frame. Lute had been softly snoring for a while, his soft brown strands shifting ethereally with his every breath. He had this innocent, this untainted look about him that even Shion, albeit begrudgingly, found incredibly endearing. He remembered how Okinu pouted in annoyance, but too yawned as tears formed at the corner of her large blue eyes.

"I'm in…for proving a point to my brothers…that a girl can too become a defender of this kingdom…" he couldn't discern her next words, for she had fallen senselessly into slumber.

Shion blinked. Struggling to keep his eyes open, he stomped over to shut the window frames, and grimaced when they brushed the remnants of Rapier's chilly night breeze over his thin undershirt. _So troublesome…_he thought to himself, and stifled a yawn as he snapped his fingers over the burning candles.

He recalled the enchantment slowly bestowed in his room – the way the crepuscular moonlight danced over their patterned floorboards, rendering his friend's expressions almost invisible, despite the fact that they were but a few feet from him. For a moment, just for a moment, he had forgotten that Kanon was right beside him.

It wasn't when he had climbed underneath his covers did she finally speak up.

"Shion," she enquired, her voice timid. "Is it really alright if we stay the night?"

He stiffened. It wasn't that he was against the idea; in fact, they had dodged the 'no mixed bunking' policy many times since the year started. After all, they weren't exactly doing anything that would possibly defy academy accords….

"Yeah, of course."

Feeling her weight settle beside him, he lifted his blankets and enveloped her lissome bodice in one. Despite the fact that he really, _really_ wanted to touch her, the code of chivalry practiced by knights dictated Shion's hand to traverse only as far as her shoulders. For once, he thanked the darkness, the very veil that now masked his potent blush from Kanon's clever eyes.

She breathed, the sound so ineffably soft, but at the same time so erratic that Shion couldn't help but wonder what was on her mind.

"Kanon, why did you decide to become a knight?"

Her breathing stopped, and Shion immediately became anxious. _Did he ask the wrong question, oh no, was that a sensitive topic? _He muffled his head in his pillow, trying to drown out the vestiges of her floral scent that sidetracked his logic. _Crap, what should he say now? _

"You…don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Somewhere amidst his statement, she chuckled. Relieved, Shion peered at her from between his large pillow, his eyes now accustomed to the dim lighting encompassing them. He could see the outlines of her features, made more…_mature_ by the moon's ephemeral grace.

"I'm merely following the steps of someone dear to me."

"A family member?" he asked.

She seemed to have hesitated for a moment there. "Yeah."

"You've never told me this before." He tried his best to filter out his childish exasperation, but somehow, she detected it nonetheless.

"That's because you've never asked." He bit into his bottom lip. _Nope. _There was absolutely nothing he could use as a valid response.

Before he could change the subject, she yawned gently beside him, and he could feel motion of her stretching her arms out into the open air.

"Aside from that, it…felt. It felt like the right thing to do." There was longing in her voice, he realized with awe. Longing, conflating adoration, respect, all of those feelings interlaced in her euphonious elucidation of her every word.

Once more turning to him, she added, "I can't explain it. There's something about entering knighthood that called out to me. Something that I couldn't turn away from."

"Shion, have you ever had that feeling?"

"Hmm?"

"The feeling of intangible beauty, that there's something out there that you have to capture, that you're destined to experience thrilling, exciting things that solidify a lifetime of memories." She wasn't like a warrior princess, she was _the worrier princess._

Propping his chin on his elbow, he bore his deep topaz eyes into her light grew ones. He liked the serenity. He liked the setting. He liked the fact she was beside him at that very moment. The very combination dispensed…_warmth. _A warmth that perhaps, he'd deprived himself of ever since he opened his first book, and divulged into its curvy symbols.

"_Yeah, I know what you mean." He said_

"_I get that same feeling every single day."_

**Chapter 4 – Gates of Gladius**

"Kanon?"

She didn't answer. Shion watched as her white palms ethereally captured a fallen snowflake, her lissome fingers closing against its melting shape. Her hair, by then cropped neatly below her shoulders didn't possess their previous luster, but nevertheless stood out, a warm, human color to the fields of boundless white before them. Her eyes appeared distant, faraway, as if she had been, unbeknownst to others absorbed, entranced by an unseeable, intangible realm. However, it took more than that to convince Shion that her glorious fire had died out; despite her insouciance, her eyes burned with power, and _adventure._

"You know, snowflakes melt even quicker if you close your fist around them."

His heart fluttered when she flashed him a brilliant smile, her pearlescent teeth conflating into the whiteness of the weather. "Yeah, I know." She paused, and Shion recalled, that he couldn't help but wonder what thoughts traversed through that mysterious mind of hers.

He wasn't particularly fond of the idea of an expedition to Gladius kingdom. Truth be told, none of them were.

Out of the thousands within Knight Academy, only seven had been selected to accompany the king. That meant besides their usual group, including himself, Okinu, Kanon and his two annoying roommates, Shion was forced to put up with two more irrelevant beings that shared neither his taste in literature nor his perception. He couldn't even tell if they were genuinely interested in the mission, for all they did was lean against trees all day, shivering aimlessly into the cold, almost as if they were incompetent against the gruesome winter weather.

The trip consisted of a week's worth of travelling, their journey extending through wild tundra, deserts and for the past three days, a violent snowstorm tracing the outer border of Gladius Kingdom. At some point, the snow had been so bad that Shion's horse couldn't even tread through the coldness anymore, rendering him powerless but to stride irately on foot. Luckily for them, the worst had already blown past them, and all that was left was a few kilometers of snowflakes and forests until they reached their final destination.

They were at their last resting point. Okinu, Lute and Haku were busy revolving around a fire, burning their cheeks with the hotness until they appeared bright red, like ripe apples that just descended from their respective trees. Shion didn't really understand their particular fascination with heat – in fact, the entire concept of warmness was utterly foreign to him. Warmth makes one tired, diverts one's attention and consequently, ruins one's performance, whatever their endeavors may be at that moment. Cold was more acceptable: sharper, more acute, more…revitalizing. He had long distanced himself from the encompassing fires, leaning against a tree with a book in hand.

He didn't know if Kanon shared his sentiments regarding temperature disparities, but sometime during when he had shut himself in his private world of surreal words and phrases, she crept surreptitiously over to his side. In that mystical manner of hers, she demanded his attention, her very shadow screaming at every nerve in his body to notice her. He had long gotten used to this effect of hers, and by then, meeting her eyes just seemed like the natural thing to do.

"That's what makes them more beautiful." She mouthed, her tone laced with longing. Shion tilted his head curiously at her, and he recalled the way her cheeks became ethereally pink before she turned away from them, extending her hands up into the heavens in a hushed solicit.

"What has infinite time cannot truly possess beauty." Her fingertips brushed against a falling piece, "Because they're no longer alive."

_What has gotten into her all of a sudden. _It wasn't that he disagreed with her, no, not in a million years. But it was rather…the way she phrased her statement. Profound and abstract, that was Kanon's signature; however, her words in that very moment had a certain solemnity, a certain…sadness to it.

Turning away from her, he combed his fingers through his thin blond hair, his fine gossamers unusually rough to the touch. He knew not where her thoughts lay, but he did know with absolute confidence that she was nowhere near finished. So before she continued to permeate the air with more of her pessimism, he interjected with the forever golden mean to her ravishing ice.

"They're still beautiful." Gentle eyes meeting his, Kanon blew into her hands, rubbing them together to elicit friction. Shion gulped, and it took every fibre of his strength to remain in his place with feigned nonchalance. He was warm, not a transportable fire or anything, but definitely warm enough to stop her hands from freezing in the cold…

"Just unlike the others, their beauty lies in their normalcy."

Popping open her rosy lips, Kanon seemed like she wanted to speak when her voice was replaced with commander Gaia's booming tenor. They had just met Gaia days ago, and during their first encounter, Shion truly couldn't understand why that man was regarded as the most powerful and talented knight Rapier had ever seen. First of all, he remained silent for 95% of the day, and only spoke when addressing the king directly or when he was barking orders to his subordinates. Other than that, he maintained an unusually still composure, and Shion had wordlessly wondered whether he'd respond if a cat was thrown upon his head.

Somehow, he seemed to have a certain affinity with animals. Shion couldn't recall where this had happened, but at some stop between Rapier and Gladius, there was this one peculiar town they had settled in for supplies. Shion, along with Kanon and Haku had been assigned to trail the commander, who was quiet as a rock the entire time they gathered food and necessary accessories. Haku had relentlessly whispered in both their ears, wondering if the armored man was actually a machine, cast with the ability to move via witchcraft. Shion had been so dreadfully sure that Haku's insult was within earshot, which also contributed to Gaia's intimidation when he didn't even bother to respond. However, within the next few seconds Shion's impression of him had been altered completely: tens, no, perhaps hundreds of cats swarmed out of the market place at once and surrounded Gaia at his feet, each purring contentedly whilst squeezing to nuzzle his boot. It was then when Shion decided that perhaps the commander was actually a kind man – animals can detect the kindest of hearts, and maybe, just maybe, working under him wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

"Protect the King!"

Before Shion had registered what went on, Kanon had swiftly drawn her sword and was racing adroitly to the king, the porcelain white of her boots flashing invisible in the snow. Quickly surveying his surroundings, Shion widened his eyes as he observed several hund-, no, several thousand men, each bearing the similar shade of repugnant grey advancing towards them, swords clashing and faces menacing. They advanced towards their party with blinding speed, and before Shion could join Kanon near the king's carriage, she had already begun fending of their ruler alone.

Grabbing his sword from his sheath, Shion silently entered the battle. Upon witnessing him, Kanon nodded briefly and retreated to the side of the carriage, handing him the dominant position directly in front of the carriage. The king, much to his dismay poked his head out of the curtains, and yelped when a blade flashed right before his eyes, the sharp edge blocked inches from his face by Shion's own.

"Your majesty!" he screamed above the clashing weapons, and precisely blocked off an attack from above, one that missed his hair by inches. "Go back into the carriage! It's far too dangerous out here!"

He assumed the king had relented and returned, for the next blows that came he pushed back with amazing resilience and blurring fast movements. Shifting so that his back faced Kanon, he fought through Gladius's army, widening a circle with the carriage as the center, treading smoothly through the snow with nary any unnecessary noise. Despite his talent in combat, Shion couldn't help but wipe beads of perspiration from his forehead, ones that pasted annoyingly his hair to his moistened skin. _There were far too many of them._

He glanced quickly around him, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Gaia, who gallantly defeated off many soldiers at once. Until then, Shion had seriously doubted the capabilities of the commander, but his dubiousness had immediately translated into awe as Gaia pounded against the advancing men, sometimes not even using his sword in the process. Lute and Haku were right behind him, the former fighting as elegantly as always while the latter remained behind, his arrows piercing the heads of anyone who filtered through their front.

_Everyone was occupied. _Sighing, Shion reached in to the pocket of his right breast and drew out his gun, its metal polish glistening against the now cleared sunshine. He wasn't particularly fond using his gun, especially in such close quarters where he could seriously injure someone. The very thought of it dispensed a bitter taste in his mouth, however, desperate situations called for desperate measures…

"…" crimson liquid spilled from the arm of his closet target. Shion diverted his eyes as he cringed in pain, clutching his wounded side and disappeared in the crowd. Kanon was closer now, her back merely meters to his, her arms frantically dancing her swords in a magnificent waltz against her opponents. Just like him, Kanon was one of those ambidextrous fighters of the academy; however, what ultimately differentiated her from him was that instead of a gun, she employed another sword. Her movements were elongated, finer than his short and blinding ones, and she moved like an angry hurricane, her strides wider and covering more enemy ground than any other apprentice.

Sensing his hesitation, she beckoned briefly towards him before shouting, "Shion, aim for their hearts! These people are trying to KILL YOU! This is not a battle of morality!" _She was right, she was always right, but Shion just couldn't…couldn't, not for his own take another's life._

_ "…"_ another shot, this one barely sparing an enemy's head, grazing his ear and knocking off part of his flesh. He wanted, so desperately wanted to close his eyes, only to have Kanon sternly chastise him once more.

"Shion! Don't you see?!" abandoning her task at hand, Kanon rushed over to Shion's side, her hair brushing roughly against his dampened cheek. It wasn't until that moment that he noticed that her flawless cheekbones were smeared with blood, blood that he hoped desperately to the heavens wasn't her own.

To his horror, she stabbed a nearing soldier, straight in the heart with her sword, and pulled the silver blade out with large, alarming stains of blood. The man fell senselessly to the ground, his eyes barely rolling into his skull before Kanon killed another, the blood splashing upon her attire almost instantaneously dried. _What was she doing? Hasn't she always been a pacifist?_

"Shion." She enunciated with clarity, her voice resonating with a strength that even Shion found astounding. "I know how you feel of killing, and I understand your hesitation." She rounded off another enemy, this time forming a gory X across his chest, slithering his skin with the impeccable grace of the war goddess, Athena herself.

"But it's life and death." Shion had been so absorbed with her performance that he didn't notice the blade that missed his neck by inches, but was countered rapidly by Kanon's interjection. Staring furiously at him, Shion cringed as she held the handles of her swords at his shoulders, grasping painfully into his bones as her breath blew across his cheek.

The colors of the world dissipated and focused sharply on her fierce expression. "You need to fight. You need to be strong, Shion." There was an ancient, prominent fire that burned in her liquid grey irises, their flames as if extending into Shion's heart, grasping his breath into something higher, of a divine essence.

"You don't have a choice but to win, because ever since you've joined knight academy, you've _abandoned the privilege of vulnerability_." Her arms suddenly wrapped around him, and Shion cringed, his chalky cheeks immediately adorned with profuse blushes before he realized what she was doing. _She was fighting against the enemies behind him, her sword bearing hands barely moving in their constraints. _

"Shion, we're warriors!" Untangling herself form him, Kanon swiped her blade above his head, and Shion could vaguely feel the hot liquid that splashed against the nape of his neck. "If you don't kill, they'll just come back until they exhaust you to death!" The majesty in her voice, somehow, calmed Shion's ragged breath, and he nodded firmly, knowing that she would receive his message nonetheless.

His heart stopped. A blade progressed, almost in slow motion towards the back of Kanon's skull. In a moment of madness, or perhaps historically unsurpassed resolution, Shion's hands no longer trembled as he aimed towards his target, this time striking the enemy with absolute meticulousness…

…directly in his heart.

**Chapter 5 – Whispers Around Campfires**

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Shion hadn't the time to wipe the blood smeared across his cheek when the crowd dispersed, their solemn expressions somehow more triumphant than they had previously been. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kanon retreat to his side, her fists against her swords whiter, more lifeless than usual. Her eyes were fixated strictly upon the center of battle, her lips pursed together like stone. Curiosity overwhelming, he turned his head, and arched a sharp brow when a dark man, his beard trimmed in the most unruly, wild fashion unveiled himself from the sea of warriors, completely and utterly weaponless.

Balancing his gun in one hand, he thrust his sword towards the intruder's neck, the silver polish of metal stained with scintillations of shadowy red. To his surprise, the man smirked, his ragged cheek curling up in the most grotesque arc Shion had ever seen.

"You're the commander."

He clapped his hands together, and it was then that Shion noticed the bulky ring adorning his middle finger, the large onyx glistening like a serpent's eye underneath the white sun. Silence permeated his surroundings, every sword, gun and arrow halting in the air, directing their bearer's attentions exclusively to them. Shion's mouth dispensed a bitter feeling as he glared at Gladius' commander, who amidst his threat strode several paces closer to him.

"You're the one they call Silent Shion, aren't you?" Shion hated that nickname – it dehumanized, demoralized him, transformed him into some worthless relic worthy of reverence. "It's such an honor to meet the most promising knight of Rapier, isn't it, men?" Malicious pupils dancing over his subordinates, they roared in agreement, raising their weapons high up towards the looming skies.

The battle stopped. For a second there, the cynosure of the world lay within the powerful tension between Shion and the foreign commander, their shoulders immobile, their expressions dangerous. He analyzed the enemy with veracity, but much to his dismay, he didn't even respond, but returned his gaze with equal intensity – intensity combined with sickening interest, as if Shion was merely an object on display.

"Interesting." Nodding to himself, Shion's muscles tightened under his uniform as the commander beckoned towards a nearby soldier, and grabbed the sword out of his hands when he was closer in reach. Pointing the stainless weapon directly at Shion, he mouthed, his each word slow but authoritative, and Shion couldn't help but detect a sensual quality of his baron tenor.

"You and I shall fight." The enemy circled him, his eyes lingering only momentarily on Kanon's wary expression before returning to Shion. "If you win, my men will leave immediately and allow you to proceed to into the gates of my kingdom." Pausing, he closed the distance between them, a gesture that propelled Shion to gravitate near the king's carriage.

"But if I win, you must surrender your king." He sneered, diabolic sparks ornamenting his maroon irises.

_What the hell, does he really think I'll agree to that?_

"No." Shion replied, rather bluntly at that. There was no way he would risk Rapier's entire welfare for such a frivolous challenge, not even if Gladius offered to donate their national library…no, not even then.

Kanon shifted, her lissome body nearing his. The commander chuckled, his whiskers shuffling in the wind, their individual strands quivering almost as if independent from his face. Shion was no fool – he knew that his actions only accentuated his threat, endangering their insignificant numbers more as time droned on. He should have seen this coming: no welcoming party, no greeting or receiver from the King, not even an announcement among the towns they had passed during their journey. He had thought that the entire expedition sounded fishy, but he had held his tongue in place, worried that he would offend Gaia with his anxiety. Now that reality dawned upon him, he regretted it immensely.

"You must have been mistaken, Shion." His dark topaz eyes shot up at the malicious message. His enemy paced, paced sluggishly around him, muscles protruding as he raised his sword, "That was not an offer, but a demand."

Fingers waving briefly in the air, Shion's heart thundered when Gladius's troops unanimously pointed their swords in his direction. "Object and my men will dismember you on the spot."

"You're a smart man, Shion, you should know that you have a higher possibility of sparing your king if you choose to fight." So the rumors were true. Shion had heard, gathered from the bits and pieces of flying rumors that Gladius's knight commander was one of the utmost malevolence, his cruelty daunting members of the royal court himself. The last thing he expected on this expedition was to engage in a one-on-one duel with the man, but now, he couldn't even protest in his powerlessness. He was right, there was no other choice than to accept the challenge, even if it meant embracing his own impending doom.

Gritting his teeth and supressing the scrunching feeling in his stomach, Shion closed his eyes and bowed, his deeply arched back signalling the start of the duel. The watchers screamed their excitement, and moments later transcended absolute silence, their eyes gleaming with curse, curse that Shion's shoulders would break, crack, shatter under pressure. He gulped, his fingers wrapping more forcefully around the handle of his sword. Everything in the world dissipated, everything save for the focal point of his attention, the demon that advanced towards him with alarming speed, the motion of his legs blinding.

Shion dodged the blade by inches, and bowed his head when the commander tried to separate his neck within the same blow. Aiming feverishly, Shion thrashed his weapon forward, his heart beating in a rapid cacophony as he was nearly knocked off balance. More attacks came, his blade succumbing Shion into a furious dance of life and death, of heaven and hell, glory and shame. He barely thought, barely breathed as their swords clashed together, their edges joining in distilled luminescence under the late afternoon sun.

Shion felt…different, like he wasn't his normal self. He couldn't ascertain how much time had passed since his initial demand, but he could feel the winter cold that threatened to restrain his limbs any second now; he could feel the strength ethereally leaving his body, and before he became utterly useless, he knew he needed to come up with a valid strategy. Cringing to another blow that scraped his cheek, he retreated and shot his fingers to his skin, his mind numbing to the cold, senseless liquid that trickled his palm. He was losing, the very thought of it bubbling a hated feeling inside his head, the perspiration coursing his forehead becoming larger, more prominent by the second.

He needed a distraction, one that could secure his victory before he was completely beleaguered by attacks. Eyes flashing with acuteness, Shion darted towards the enemy, finally taking charge for the first time since the duel commenced. Just before he could draw his gun, the commander unearthed a knife, a short blade concealed in the depths of his robes and aimed towards Shion's heart, its sharp point tearing the rough fabric of his jacket. Perfect, he thought with triumph, his heart leaping in joy as the edge scraped against his skin.

Shedding his helpless façade, he dispersed and aimed his weapon. Everything that transpired next seemed to have unfold in slow motion: the firing of Shion's bullet, the divine, enthralling motion of its trail through the air. The unadulterated awe on Kanon's docile features, her beauty distorting the equally astonished face of Shion's challenger, who backtracked, his lashes shooting rapidly in succession. His mouth opened in an inaudible gasp, just milliseconds before the bullet entered his right chest, small beads of blood securing its successful location.

Silence. Overbearing silence dawned upon the world as he collapsed on the ground, clutching now his perhaps fatally wounded side.

"Commander!" the fools surrounding them appeared to have forgotten their purpose, each worriedly rushing towards their fallen leader. Shion backtracked, his trembling back and ragged breath stabilized by the firm placement of Kanon's fingers on his shoulders. Exhausted, he abandoned caution and leaned his weight against her, closing his eyes in contentment to her calming fragrance.

His happiness was short lived, for Kanon smacked him across the head and whispered, her dove grey irises enlarged in apprehension. "Shion, it's not over."

He smiled. He knew that it wasn't over – he was presented with a dilemma that would doom him from the moment he placed his wager. If he were to kill to commander, he would inevitably initiate a potent controversy between Gladius and Rapier; however, if he relented and allowed himself to perish, there was no doubt that his companions would put on an unsuccessful fight that would potentially jeopardize the welfare of the king within but hours. There was no golden mean to his predicament – all he could do was wound him, and hope that the moment of chaos would provide Gaia enough time to signal a retreat….

His eyes shot open when the fallen commander raised his hands painstakingly, crunched his fist and pointed towards the inner gates of Gladius. He couldn't immediately grasp the severity of the situation, and he was thankful he couldn't as the others resumed in defense, while Haku ran back towards the King's carriage and directed the horses to turn away from the pandemonium.

"Release the weapon!" there was a prolonged, heavy ring of the gates opening, it's elaborate metal doors unveiling a cannon like object, one far too large for efficient transportation. The majority of its back had been cloaked with cloth, revealing only its faint penumbra across the snowy grounds. Despite its obvious lack of identity, Shion performed, swiftly a calculation in his head, trembling at the terrifying conclusion he arrived at. _His heart nearly stopped. He had harbored the suspicion, the suspicion that none of them would make it out alive. However, he had attributed that end to the wrong factor – it wasn't Gladius's soldiers that would doom them, but instead their hidden device, one that could wipe out hundreds in the matter of seconds. He had seen its shape, countless times in the restricted section of the academy libraries; there was no way, no way that Gladius could have gotten its hands on such a terrifying treasure… _

Ignoring the men advancing wrathfully before him, Shion turned and screamed towards Gaia, desperation interlacing his incredibly strained voice. "Commander! We need to get out of here now!"

When Gaia didn't respond, he added, "Commander, we need to prioritize the welfare of the king!"

Appearing to have heard him the second time, Gaia kicked the soldier before him straight in the stomach and bellowed, freezing every other knight on the field with his intimidating baritone, "Knights of Rapier, retreat from the front at once!" Everyone, including Lute and Okinu finished their opponents and ran back towards the carriage, smears of blood almost completely obscuring their features…

Shadows, dirt, light. A sphere of fire appeared uncannily in the skies, its majestic flames imploring to the heavens for the briefest of moments before descending to the ground, the impact of its explosion knocking, accelerating their backs from the fields. Shion could feel the scorching heat slowly melt his skin, and sizing Kanon's hand at once they darted towards the carriage, now far from the gates in a realm of safety. He didn't know whether or not Lute and the others made it out, but he couldn't bring himself to stop running, to escape the chaos that ignited vehemently the gates of Gladius…

"What the hell was that back there?"

Haku's typically roguish demeanor had turned into one of complete irateness, his fingers not at all gentle as he bandaged Lute's wounded arm. The latter gave off an impression of compliance, and he didn't even wince as more blood escaped his scar, staining his dirtied shirt.

The horizons had darkened behind the hollow trees, the black skyline illuminated by a few idle stars that shone in their dim brilliance, as of mocking the failure that befell the future knights of Rapier. They had arrived at a forsaken forest, one that miraculously supplied adequate firewood and a fresh source of water, and so through a tyrannical vote, they were to stay there for the rest of the evening. By then, they had set up a fire and several large logs, the entire setting reminding him oddly of the training camps he endured last year in Knight Academy. Shion had anticipated a stern scolding from Gaia, and had already prepared himself for whatever horrors he would have to endure; however, the commander was deemed even more frightening when he merely turned his back, the blood wiped against the sharp curve of his nose startling in menace. Shion wasn't accustomed to people like him – the more indecipherable they were, the more he felt uneasy, like at any moment they would do something completely irrational, or even uncontrollable…

"I don't know, but I think it was a cannon." Okinu had just finished cleansing herself of the remnants of Gladius' soldiers. Out of all of them, she was perhaps the one most unharmed, save for the small scar in the center of her palm, ironically caused by herself when she grasped the handle of her sword with excessive, unnecessary strength.

"A cannon with that firepower?" Haku narrowed his eyes, "That can't be possible, even our own cannons can't fire that high, let alone create a gigantic ball of fire out of nowhere." _That was true. _Although Rapier was a country famous for its rich farmlands and knowledge in agriculture, they were nevertheless gifted in warfare, a trait proven by the several dozens of military stations bordering their villages. Their weapons were extraordinary; however, even Shion had to admit that what Gladius managed to pull off that very morning was…scary, to put it lightly.

"I don't get it…" Shion cocked his brow when Lute finally spoke up, his long bangs dangling lifeless before his eyes, "Wasn't this supposed to be a friendly meeting between His Majesty and the King of Gladius? Why had all of this happened without prior notice?"

Oh, that was an easy one. "War. It's much simpler to single out the sovereign and take his life than to declare war over the entire kingdom of Rapier." Quickly detangling his thoughts, Shion added, "Gladius is currently facing a dreadful shortage of resources, and their relationships with other neighboring nations are strained already. Pretty sure that the southern desert nation was planning on overtaking Gladius just a couple weeks ago." But nobody's heard from them ever since.

"That's terrible…deceiving the king like that." Shion sighed inwardly to Lute's innocence – despite his respectable skill and chivalry as a knight, the man was far too airheaded to truly achieve greatness.

Up until that moment, Gaia had been slumped in the corner, but somehow at Shion's words his head snapped up, sparks of life reviving his haunted eyes. Something had possessed him, Shion thought with irritation when Gaia mouthed, attempting at a whisper but failing miserably at it,

"If they have weapons like that, they can destroy Rapier's army within minutes." His message was short and crisp, but its severity was enough to send fissions of fear down everyone's spine.

"Do you think they have more?"

"They do." Everyone's eyes darted towards Shion, their expressions darkened by the fire dancing in the center of their circle. Shion leaned against the log he sat upon, his feet digging deeper into the moistened earth as he rolled his eyes before continuing, "Because they had no idea how many soldiers or knights King Ando would bring with him to the expedition. That cannon is powerful, but it doesn't have enough power to wipe out thousands at once. Reloading's also a pain too, it takes several hours just to get one of those explosions to happen properly. So if they wanted to take all of us out, they definitely need more."

He gulped when Gaia finally exhibited some discernible emotion, "You sound like you know what they're using, Shion."

At his statement, Haku smiled, the tension leaving his shoulders as he spoke softly to the commander, "That's our Shi! As long as something's written in books, he's your guy to go to!" _Great, the walking library reference again, like that hasn't gotten old since the first day of the semester. _

Disregarding Haku, Gaia stared, long and hard at Shion, the intensity of his gaze gravely confusing the golden haired knight apprentice. From the corner of his eye, Shion saw Lute incline his head curiously, while Okinu stifled an amused chuckle, winking mischievously. Bile bubbling in the back of his throat, Shion was about to implode when Gaia spoke, his voice replete with a sensation akin to respect, something that brought profuse blushes to Shion's cheeks.

"Do you know how to defeat them?"

He blinked. Effervescent anticipation enveloping the air around them, everyone's gazes burned on him, even the two knights that Shion found strange were staring at him, their eyes urging him to confirm the positive.

The air felt cold. Unusually cold.

"No, commander." If the situation wasn't so serious, Shion would have laughed at the comical manner in which their shoulders slumped in unison, their brows relaxing together, a perfect mirror image of one another. Haku clicked his tongue, picked up a branch and tossed it into the thick foliage of the cooling forest. Okinu shook her head in disapproval, slumped down from her seat and leaned her head against Lute's leg, the latter staring at her with surprise, but didn't object.

A part of him was annoyed, annoyed at the fact that nobody, not even his companions had the courtesy to at least let him finish his statement. It would save them from immense disappointment, though, not that it was any of his business…

Stealing a look at Kanon's serene expression, her breathing even while resting on his shoulder, his eyes softened. He wanted, more than anything in that moment to slowly, softly trace his fingers over her flawless skin, to feel her breath underneath his fingertips, to confirm that she was alive, alive and well and truly beside him. It if wasn't for the presence of his allies, _he probably would have…_

He turned away. He wouldn't let Kanon hear his next words, for she would be the first one to oppose his insane proclamation, and if he didn't even have her support, he knew he would fail. Soliciting with his gaze, he met Gaia's eyes, the latter dispensing a solemn aura, telling of an ancient sadness that kneaded eternally within the depths of his soul. Shion didn't know that anyone was capable of looking like that, and he felt a little victorious, knowing that his next words would dismantle Gaia's remorse, its underlying cause now as clear as daylight.

"They can't be defeated, but they can be dismantled."

**Chapter 6 – Iraval **

The king had immediately fallen ill after the party returned to Rapier. His sickness was unfortunate for the kingdom; however, that very indication was an invaluable opportunity for Shion, Lute and the others to explore Rapier's castle. Even though knight academy was by several villages away from the capital, they were never granted the honor to truly step foot in the majestic palace, and even despite Shion's protests, he couldn't help but feel elated by the thought of immersing himself within the largest, most opulent library in the entire country.

Lute and Haku were attracted by the armory, so they had dispersed instantly from the rest of them ever since entering the gates. Rapier's weather had gotten…warmer, suspended between the piercing winter cold and the first ciphers of a reviving spring, which was, incidentally Shion's most preferred state of being. He relished in the silver clouds, their various shapes blocking, filtering the annoying diaphanousness of the sun, giving the world a calm, tranquil feeling of utmost ease. He breathed in the fresh scent of melting snow, savoring the now unrestrained sensation hovering about his neck, finally freed from the material of his cashmere scarf.

"I wonder if I can visit the Queen's chambers…" Okinu said out loud, and Shion rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"She's dead, her room's probably been locked since the day after her funeral." Grimacing at Shion's harsh words, Kanon nudged him lightly in the ribs, a gesture he had been long accustomed to; hell, sometimes he even _anticipated_ her gentle touch. Okinu stuck her tongue out at him, her obscene expression making him feel slightly, just slightly more amused than a few seconds previous.

He couldn't remember the conversation they had next – was it something he said, or was it something Kanon had said, or perhaps it was the both of them speaking in unison, he didn't know. Nevertheless, the end result comprised of an angry Okinu stomping her heeled boots indignantly as her slim figure disappeared in the lavish depths of the castle. Shion dug his fingers in his pockets, and was just about to go on a wild search for the library when he felt soft fingers hold him back, followed by the forever euphoniousness of Kanon's endearing voice;

"If you're looking for the library," his ears trembled to her ethereal breath, his heart thundering to the nature of her message. "I've already asked commander Gaia of its whereabouts, follow me."

Oh lord, he was so happy that he could hug her, pick her up and twirl her around without the scarcest care in the world. Stumbling after her rhythmic footsteps, Shion pondered over this dilemma of his – for months now, he possessed this irrepressible desire to hug her, to touch her, to close the cursed distance between them in mind-shattering intimacy. He admonished the very thought of fantasies, for he considered them superfluous, delusional and inefficient allocations of time; however, when the subject landed on Kanon, all his common sense and moral convictions disappeared with frightening vindictiveness. He had embraced her, tenderly and lovingly, countless times in his dreams, but somehow, just somehow, he couldn't assemble the courage to manifest his latent desires…

In a sense, he was a coward. Even in the surreptitious, secretive settings of his private thoughts, he had yet to kiss her…he felt it wrong, almost as if the gesture would taint her purity, rendering her lesser the woman she'd rather be…

"Shion, we're here." Regaining his senses at once, Shion suddenly darted forward, opened the large marble doors and signalled for her to enter, all the while mentally congratulating himself for the victory. It was getting increasingly more difficult, the very act of chivalry around Kanon. Her beauty was taunting, taunting the nerves in his body whenever she would be as kind to smile to him, numbing every corner of his mind into a catastrophic nebula…

"This place is even larger than expected." In response, Shion too washed his gaze over the interior of the library, the fresh scent of leather covers and parchment filling his nostrils. _This was paradise, he thought, his ecstasy prominently drowning out his previous lingering thoughts of Kanon. _Ignoring her curious enquires, he swiftly ran forward and masked himself in the plethora of books that filled his vision.

He picked up a selection, and ran his fingers slowly over its rich cover, the dark, sophisticated brown leather rugged, but nevertheless polished under his touch. He couldn't tell if Kanon had laughed, or chuckled, or said something – perhaps it had been all three; it didn't matter, for his brain was far too preoccupied in the heavenly words and phrases to discern any decipherable missive of hers. The world had at once gone silent, every single whisper and song nullified by the figures he read, the glorious prose they conveyed…

He leaned against the warm mahogany shelf, his body completely immobile for the couple hours, his every cell divulging in the mesmerizing volume he so preciously held. When he first arrived at knight academy, he had astonishingly thought that their collection of books were impressive; it seemed childish to conclude that the castle library ruthlessly shadowed the former in every conceivable way. _Maybe working for the king won't be so bad after all…_

Amidst Shion's intoxication, Kanon had perched herself gingerly beside him, and had lowered herself on the carpeted floor with the sequel to the book Shion held. Unbeknown to the golden haired, irretrievably spacey knight apprentice, Kanon herself harbored annoyance, annoyance towards Shion's obliviousness to her feelings as well. She was truly timid in nature, which made her every attempt at unveiling her affection more painstaking than imaginable. She had first assumed that due to Shion's remarkable intelligence, he would detect her emotions within a heartbeat. However, much to her disappointment, he appeared completely oblivious to her signals, which made her wonder to a certain extent whether or not he had sustained a frontage of ignorance, or did was he simply…uninterested? Even when she was in such proximity, he appeared so perfectly nonchalant, so comfortable that she couldn't help but grit her teeth irately…

Time passed, hours scattered as if merely minutes, and before Shion managed to reconcile with its currents, a reverberating knock sounded upon the door, reacting him agitatedly. Settling his book carefully on the ground, he jogged over to library entrance, his fingers threatening to touch the toned marble when none other Gaia's voice echoed his eardrums.

"Shion, something has arrived for you."

"Iraval?" Haku wrinkled his nose in disgust, "What's that supposed to be, the name of some kind of disease?"

"Not a disease, Haku." Lute admonished him gently, and pointed his hands in the air haughtily, once again assuming the appearance of their scholarly instructor, "It's a synonym of wrath, one of the seven deadly sins."

They were gathered in a colossal meeting room, directed by a fierce looking man bearing transparent spectacles and a smart-looking suit. Nobody seemed to be able to remember the strange man; however, Shion recalled with perfect lucidity who he was – the king's personal butler, Richard, who gave a guest lecture on the mechanisms of knightly etiquette just two semester ago. Sighing inwardly at his companions' horrid attention spans, Shion straightened his back as Gaia retrieved a clean envelope from within his breastplate, the whiteness emulating an apprehensive feeling inside his chest.

He took the envelope and flipped it over, eyes widening in recognition. Stamped in maroon wax was Gladius's coat of arms, its menacing rose and spheres crossed together, screaming its undesirable contents to Shion's surprise. He scratched the dried liquid with his nails, _wait, was that even necessary? _

Shaking his head to his futile attempt, Shion ripped the corner of the envelope open and picked out the folded piece of parchment. Kanon inclined her neck for a closer look, murdering Shion's senses once more with her efflorescent, utterly dominating aroma. The length of her hair appeared to have grown substantially within the last week or so, the ends once more dividing in lustrous curls as they tickled ethereally against Shion's neck. Mustering herculean effort to concentrate on the letter he held, he read, hoping to some distant deity that his voice wouldn't falter with embarrassment…

"_I, Iravel, the Knight commander of Gladius, humbly invites the renown Shion of Rapier to a second duel, where I venture to reclaim my victory." _Sweet and short, Shion couldn't help but slightly admire the gruesome man. Unlike certain people he knew, Iravel didn't strike him as the type of person to invest redundant energy into worthless greetings and courteous notes, a quality he found particularly respectable.

"Victory?" Haku snorted, crossing his arms across his chest. "More like dignity if you ask me."

Ignoring his outburst, Shion continued. "_I shall meet you in Gladius's armory within a week's time, and I pray that you come alone. I am sure that due to previous circumstances, you, as do I anticipate this meeting, as this location I have chosen could mean immense contributions to Rapier's military development. I believe I do not need to further elaborate on my point for you to understand my intentions." _

"I don't understand," Lute interjected with his perplexed tone of voice, something that his fangirls found incredibly, amazingly enticing. "If this letter was meant for Shion's eyes only, then why did commander Gaia have it?"

Shion slumped into a nearby armchair. He couldn't not for the life of him answer Lute's borderline moronic enquiry; sometimes he wondered how Lute managed to excel at his studies but still retain the deductive capacity of a rotting log. Combing his fingers absently through his hair, Shion stole one last glance at the letter before Kanon's calm voice resonated across the chambers, her monotonous message chilling, every foreboding signal of the beginnings of a monstrous storm.

"Because that's what he intended to do." She sounded emotionless, and Shion couldn't help but astound over the fact that she managed to veil her annoyance at sir Lute's air headedness. "Iraval did that purposely so that commander Gaia would find out, in hope that he would alert the King of this development. He's not doing this simply to challenge Shion, but to spark a rivalry between Gladius and Rapier."

"Woah there princess," Haku held his hands in the air, "Aren't we jumping to conclusions here? What if reaching commander Gaia was the only way to get to Shion? It's not like he has a fixed address or anything…"

Kanon narrowed her delicate brows, and Shion couldn't help but analyze her in eager expectation. Her reasoning was well-conducted; however, if her trail of thought paralleled his own, it would only be seconds before she too arrived at his horrifying quandary, something that would jeopardize not only Rapier, but very well Gladius itself.

Liquid dove grey eyes crystallizing in resolution, Shion's lips slowly curled as Kanon continued; "Haku, look at the wax seal on the letter." To assist in her point, Shion raised the envelope in the air, and felt the simultaneous focus of several pairs of eyes on the object he held. Nodding, she added, "That's the _royal _seal of Gladius, something that under no circumstances should Iraval, the knight commander gain access to. The seal itself doesn't encompass any true power, it only serves as a symbol of acknowledgment for whomever the reader may be. Therefore, Iravel would have no reason to steal the seal from the king, and as I'm sure you know as well as I, the king should not let anyone mar his name."

Pausing to inhale, Kanon puffed out her cheeks briefly. "Then there's only one possibility left – Iravel has already kidnapped the King of Gladius."

Silence, ancient, distilled silence dawned upon the petrified room, the only source of motion the flickering array of luminous candles situated at the grand center of the dining table. Everyone's expressions were of equal shock, their eyes unmoving, their chests motionless, and their breaths halted, adjourned within their throats to the sudden dilemma. Everyone except for Kanon, whose gaze implored Shion's own, as if pleading for him to say something to break the looming muteness…

"He's doing that on purpose." A million intangible daggers suddenly flew in Shion's direction, and he sighed as he permitted them to pierce his skin. "We don't exactly know what he's done with the king. He's sending us mixed signals, his biggest wager is our, or my uncertainty towards the issue. He's making two bets – one the fact that we really do want to rescue the King, and two, the weapons he's keeping hidden in the armory. If I'm not interested, there's really nothing he can do about it." Kanon's features relaxed, to which he wondered fleetingly the cause behind her change of expression.

Lute bit on his bottom lip in concentration, while Haku drummed his fingers erratically against the purple velvet tablecloths. Gaia lacked sentiment, just as he always had. Thankfully, none of them appeared terribly concerned, something that Shion found incredibly heartwarming the reasons of which he himself held no retrievable, conscious knowledge of.

"Well Shi…" Haku said with a small voice, forest brown darting irregularly towards profound honey, "Are you interested in going?"

Someone said something shortly after, was it Lute asking some irrevocably stupid question, or was it Gaia reiterating Haku's exact words, he didn't know. For in that exact moment, his eyes were focused exclusively on Kanon, whose darkened gaze bore into his in historically unparalleled intensity. It was as if time stopped ticking, the world stopped evolving; everything aside from her had merged soundlessly into shadow, into insignificant corners of the world, invisible to Shion's vision. Her features were displaced in awe, the grey shades of her irises rendered almost transparent white, akin to the uncontaminated, celestial color of snow, snow that started to fall once more outside their window. Rapier usually possessed unseasonal weather, so the terrible timings of every drop from the heavens no longer annoyed Shion, he hated the snow regardless. However, in that moment, there was no color in the entire universe more beautiful than that distilled, magical white.

A faint smile curled up his ashen lips as he prayed, prayed to _her, _hoping desperately that she'd receive his wordless confession. One day, just one day, he'd personally say the words within her heart, whether it be in this lifetime or the next…

"I don't think I have a choice." He replied.

"For the sake of Rapier, I accept Iraval's invitation."

**Chapter 7 – Floral Prose **

He leaned listlessly across the walls of Kanon's cabin, thick layers of fluffy winter white adorning his dampened strands. The snow posed as an ethereal reminiscent to Kanon's eyes that afternoon, the eyes that widened in terror as Shion made his final verdict. She had known, that despite knowing the dangers of traversing to Gladius alone, he was still willing to make that stupid sacrifice, the sacrifice that may very well jeopardize not only their vague relationship, but also his own life.

She proceeded by storming out the door, leaving the men in the room utterly flabbergasted at her departure. The entire phenomenon had strike them as peculiar, well, at least for everyone aside from Shion, who immediately regretted his words as he shut his eyes firmly in dismay. There had been immense regret in his heart, not due to the fact that he may be very well be embracing his impending doom, but more because that before he would proceed to the neighboring nation, he might not even be granted the opportunity of reconciliation.

Merciless cold spreading to every cell in his body, Shion felt his heart submerged in a bottomless, senseless pit. He knew of, not to mention prided himself in his outstanding intelligence, but for the life of him, he couldn't ascertain the reason behind Kanon's irrational anger. His selection was based entirely welfare of the kingdom, and as his friend, shouldn't she take pride in his courage instead of admonish him for it, or put him through the terrifying silent treatment?

The last time he had witnessed such an incident was when Haku had failed miserably in one of his 'conquests'. For days, he had trailed behind that girl, who in Shion's opinion was just short of repulsive, in both appeal and mannerism, like lost puppy. Shion and Lute had carolled him countless times not to force a union that doesn't consist of any long-term potentiality. Of course, being the scandalous hothead Haku is, he threw precautions all out the window. It wasn't until that particular girl had sneaked into their cabin at night, robbed Haku of all his remotely valuable possession and threw them in the largest, deepest lake in Rapier. She had conducted this scheme of hers late autumn, so naturally when Haku tracked down most of his textbooks, his clothes and supplies, the lake had been frozen with an unbreakable layer of ice.

Moral of the story: women are annoying creatures who cannot be evaluated with normal scopes of reason. Though ironically by that point, because of some insolent female, Shion's ears were on the verge of falling off, as he was sure they had turned repugnant shades of blue hours earlier. He had lost track of time, but he knew it was probably deep into the night, judging by the thick accumulation of snow on the staircase to their cabin, and the way the iridescent moonlight filtered deep into the west, scattered by the leafless branches of trees suspended in life force. He sighed, his breath long, his heart heavy as he watched his despised exhale crystallize instantaneous in the air, forming that niveous cloud that merged into the boundless white before him.

It wasn't until that moment that he truly appreciated the presence of his scarf. To a certain extent, that scarf held a recognizable amount of sentimental value – it was a Christmas present from Lute just two years ago, right when they had struck up a rivalry and a solid friendship, courtesy of their mutual assignment to their present dorm. In fact, it was the first time in his memory that Shion truly received a gift, not to mention one so inexplicably, impeccably hand made. That was the first time that Shion had been impressed, truly impressed by the remarkable skills of another, a mental policy he shattered just the next day when he discovered that Lute had destroyed him in an academic test.

He wanted to run and get it, that way, at least his neck would be insulated from the increasingly painful cold. However, he couldn't shake off the anxiety that once he would go as far to step down, Kanon would open the door and declare angrily in a fit, never to speak again in this lifetime. Rearranging his priorities, Shion shoved his hands underneath his arms and prayed, prayed once more to the deity he was now convince existed somewhere invisible in the heavens, laughing down at his pathetic appearance.

Suddenly, the weight of the door shifted, and Shion jumped up, eyes widening in comical anticipation. He nervously brushed his fingers though his hair, dusting off the snow on his body with inhuman veracity, a futile attempt to make himself more presentable to the eye- or wait, should he look absolutely solid in order to elicit some degree of sympathy from her? Before he could settle on some cohesive, not to mention coherent agreement, his expression faltered as Okinu opened the door, her nightgown immediately ruffled by the roaring winter breeze, the coldness as strident as intangible knives…

"How long have you been out there?" Oh, like you had the nerve to ask, he thought, grimacing at her. Okinu's hair was as perfectly arranged as always; though, he had to admit she looked younger, a lot younger when her eyes weren't encircled with layers and layers of colorful powder.

"Dunno, a few hours maybe." He peeked into their dorm, his eyes not even reaching their first bed when Okinu smacked him across the forehead, her touch incredibly, worryingly warm. Shion cringed, and she appeared to have noticed to, for her molten sapphire irises fixated in his pale brown ones at once, apprehension blatantly contorting her effeminate features.

"Shion, you're freezing!" she exclaimed, again brining her hand to Shion's forehead, a gesture he shook off with more than adequate force.

"Why don't you try standing out here for the entire night, especially in this blasted weather!" she glared at him. Shion sighed and added, his tone softer this time,

"Sorry, I just really, really need to speak with Kanon." Still wary, Okinu nodded and opened the door wider, allowing Shion to enter.

At first glance, his mind blew up in confusion. Their dorm looked so much larger from the outside, but in reality there was but one idle bed situated at the far corner of the cabin, with no windows, no bathrooms and no Kanon. However, as he squinted more carefully at the space before him, he realized in awe that their dorm was separated by a wall, with Okinu occupying the one closer to the entrance. Though, he was still perplexed over the fact that he couldn't find a door that lead to her room…

"Invisible door, cool eh?" as if mystically mirroring Shion's thoughts, Okinu strode forward and performed a series of elaborate knocks in the wall, and moments later a faint thundering noise reverberated through the room, followed by a dramatic descent of the middle portion of the thick separation of wood. Before Shion could enquire, Okinu clasped her hands together, as if imploring him, her frantic whispers made barely discernible.

"Okay Shion, I know you probably didn't want Kanon to know that you're the only person capable of dismantling Gladius's god weapons, but I told her because she was angry that you would decide without consulting her first. She was asleep when we talked about this so naturally she could have questions, and in between everything she cried that she worried she'd never see you again, and maybe being cold to you could ease some of the horror that she hid from everyone else. So naturally when I told her your true intentions she finally decided to let you in, and well, here you are now." Shion was speechless, for he had no idea that it was humanly possible to utter such a large array of words within merely seconds.

"Don't be too hard on her, she's still kind of unstable." The wall had lowered completely, and Shion tentatively raised his boot, his eyes boring into Kanon's expectant grey ones. He gulped; her arms were crossed firmly across her chest, the distance between her feet a vital indication of her 'combat mode'. Despite all the time he had known her, he still had no idea how to push that particular button of hers; and for heaven's sake, that knowledge would prove indispensable right there, right then.

Efflorescence pervading the atmosphere, Shion raised his hand slowly.

"Kanon, I need to-"

"Take off your shirt."

He blinked. _What the hell did she just say? Had she gone completely insane over the past couple hours? _Thankfully, he wasn't the only one who fostered such accusations – Okinu too sucked in a sharp intake of breath, lapsing momentarily before screeching in awe.

"Kanon, I didn't know you could be so forward!" _What the hell were they talking about, are they- wait. Oh. That. _Shion's cheeks felt incredibly hot, scorching hot in fact, like the veins in his body contained liquidized fire instead of blood, the overwhelming warmth igniting his very soul. Kanon stared at them in confusion for a second, and soon the pale blushes on her cheeks avidly reflected Shion's own.

"That's not what I meant!" her indignant soprano was high, shrill, completely out of control. Shion couldn't help but ornament his freezing complexion with a ghost of a smile, amused at the fact that Kanon, well, you know the rest.

She added, her tone gentler, calmer this time. "What I'm saying is you should probably take your shirt off, the snow must be freezing."

"There's a fireplace in my room, you can hang your clothes there to dry for the time being." Giving Shion's back a light push, Okinu tapped the walls once more, winking impishly before she completely disappeared behind the wooden frame.

So thus, for the first time that night, Kanon and Shion were alone.

…

Silence. Silence lingered everywhere: within the floral redolence of her room, within the vivaciously flickering, ochre flames of her fireplace, over the frame of the early middle-aged painting hung above her pristinely made bed, its elaborately vibrant brush strokes in stark contrast against the pastel backgrounds. Shion recalled this exact art style in a book he'd used to read, but somehow, testing his memory had lost its usual appeal.

"Kanon, I'm sorry for what I said earlier today."

She smiled, a small, sad smile that trembled her lips. "You have nothing to apologize for, Shion, I was the one who overreacted."

He shook his head. "I should have come to you, or at least discussed it with you before announcing it to everyone else."

She looked at him, long and hard, with indecipherable scintillations in her irises. He had never felt such combating emotions, not in his entire existence until that moment – he desperately wished to embrace her, to wipe that sorrowful look off her docile, adorable features, but he also feared that doing so may offend her, further ruining their already tense relationship.

"Shion, what do you mean by 'everyone else'?"

He didn't know how to answer, and until this day he couldn't deduct exactly _what _she desired for him to respond. Instead, he diverted his eyes to the fireplace, watching intently at the dancing flames, its lights illuminating the melting logs in a waltz of unparalleled, magnificent glory. Recalling what she said just minutes earlier, he blurted out, intent on shattering the awkward stillness that permeated the air,

"I should probably take my shirt off."

This time, she really did smile, the implications of which nullified Shion's thoughts completely. "Yeah, you probably should."

Shrugging his forest green cloak off his shoulders, Shion actually felt liberalized, relived of the heavy material dragging down his body. Placing it neatly over the fireplace, he proceeded to shrug off his undershirt, and was just about to repeat the same process when Kanon gasped in dread,

"Shion, what happened to your chest?!"

He glanced back at her, mystified. "What are you talking about?"

She pointed a lilt finger at the scars protruding his muscles. "Your scars…they're still fresh, are they all from the battle with Iraval?"

Oh. "Yeah, they are."

Her eyes watered ephemerally, and she concealed it by looking up aimlessly at the ceiling, something Shion found extremely heart-wrenching.

"Well, he'd been wounded a lot worse by me…"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you didn't get hurt."

…

…

…

"Hey Shion…" she ventured to the now turned away Shion, who was flattening the material of his shirt over the bulky fireplace. Alarmed by the dripping contriteness of her voice, he couldn't bring himself to respond in anything else than:

"Yeah?"

Seconds passed as if an eternity, the cosmos condensed into that fitted space, tailored perfectly for the two of them.

"What are we?" she asked.

…

His lack of response spurring her courage, Kanon poured out all the thoughts, memories and affections that she meticulously concealed in her heart.

"Shion, how do you feel about me?"

"Am I just a friend, just like 'everyone else' to you?" She sounded wounded, vulnerable, _exposed. _He didn't respond, despite how threateningly he fought against his senses, he just couldn't, not for anything in the world muster the strength to move his lips, to utter that cursed message….

"Do you…" _Please, Kanon, don't. Please don't say it._

"…love me?"

Instead of answering, he turned back to her, his brows furrowing slightly in concentration as he stared, assembling as much adoration in his gaze as he could manage in a wordless solicit.

He didn't know whether or not she received his message, for she smiled, a smile that didn't reach her lively grey eyes.

"I get it, Shion." She pondered.

"I'm coming with you to face Iraval."

His face immediately contorted in fury, his tone harsher than his intentions. "No, you're not."

Looking away from him, her tone became more resolute, more like the serene yet adventurous Kanon he had become so inured to.

"Try and stop me."

Before consciously processing his actions, Shion's fist flew towards Kanon's stomach, his aim should have been flawless, rendering her unconscious within seconds if she hadn't elegantly skipped out of the way, delight interlacing her rosy lips.

"Kanon, don't be dumb."

She whistled, the gesture odd, almost as if taunting him. "You can insult me all you want, but I'm still coming with you."

Gritting his teeth, Shion retorted vehemently, "Why? There's nothing you'd possibly gain from coming with me. Kanon, you could get hur-

"Because I love you."

He was petrified, petrified as she sighed heavily, her expression assuming a softness, a beauty that he had never before observed. Almost like a mischievous child, she looked up at him, her eyes the very epitomes of content.

"Is that a good enough reason?"

He didn't, _couldn't _answer. So like always, he turned away from her, his eyes brimming with the tears that he swore never to drop.

He didn't hear her ethereal footsteps, nor did he sense the admirable gaze she shot towards his broad, masculine back. What he did feel was the sensation of her arms wrapped around his waist, her soft cheek pressed against his skin, her cascading curls dispensing a ticklish feeling, one not nearly distractive enough.

He closed his eyes as she mouthed, "We're both warriors, Shion."

"So please, as my friend, don't stop me from wanting to help you. Because whatever you're facing beyond the gates of Gladius, I want to be there to share it with you."

"Please, don't stop me."

…

The fire flickered, more violently.

Shion couldn't understand his silence, nor his reluctance, but for once, he didn't care. There he was, in the arms of the girl he cherished, more than _anyone else_ in the world, his feelings for her more lucid, more prominent than ever.

Though, he bit down on his lip before he could say something stupid. Something that he knew she'd hold on to, akin a helpless puppet for the rest of eternity if he was to perish in battle.

Something like, "_I love you too."_

Neither of them had known of the third soul, listening on the other side of Kanon's wall as she surreptitiously wiped away her tears. Neither of them knew why Okinu was crying, or why she was lamenting over the fact that Kanon finally confessed her long-held feelings, or even why she chose to draw up that curtain of separation in the first place.

_She should have been happy, happy for her dearest friend._

_ Somehow, she just wasn't. _

_ Not reall-_

_ Not at all. _

**Chapter 8 – Into the Rings **

"Shi, you're not thinking properly."

Shion ignored Haku, his head buried so typically in a book. However, what differentiated the volume he held then was that Kanon had recommended it to him, and expectedly, he loved every single word of it.

"Haku, let him be." Shion's brows shot up in awe in response to Lute's tranquil voice, his missive more distant, more detached than what he had been accustomed to. Out of all his companions, Lute was perhaps the one would exhibit the most exuberant sorrow, display the most worry for Shion's decision. Though much to his surprise, Shion decided not to question this phenomenon.

_The less friction there is, the better._

Lute appeared to have placed his arm on Haku's shoulder, for the latter shoved it off with more than elegant force. "Shi, you could get killed! And aren't you assuming things? For all you know, Gladius might not even be a threat to Rapier!"

_Did he actually just say that out loud?_ "Iraval almost killed our king, and you think he's not a threat to Rapier?"

Haku pursed his lips, his hazel eyes narrowing in concentration at Shion's flagrant nonchalance. Silence enveloping their room once more, they stared, unmoving at one another, their gazes foretelling an ancient contract, a contract of friendship, of companionship, and alas, the horrors the golden haired prince would face upon his dreaded expedition. The stillness, he recalled, was haunting, the only scintillas of motion the dimly lit candles on their lifeless wooden table. Haku's expression became more contorted by the second, his stately, handsome nose crinkling in dismay, disapproval practically emanating from his every pore. Finally exasperated, Shion sighed inaudibly, and raised himself from upon his bed to address him directly.

Tendrils of soft topaz guiding before his vision, Shion said, hoping he wouldn't sound like one of those sappy romantics in the novel he had been reading. "I'll be there for the knighting ceremony."

Haku didn't respond, though, Shion knew that he under stood the implications of his message, for his sloppy comrade raced forward and embraced him tightly, his muscles slamming against Shion's own. Lute raised his fingers and wiped away an idle tear, one that Shion knew not of its existence prior to Lute's futile, ironic attempt at abolishing it. His heart felt strangely warm – not was tender as the feelings of when he was in Kanon's arms, but somehow, stronger, more resolute, more _courageous. _

_But hell, Haku smelled disgusting. How long has it been since the last time he bothered to bathe? _Shrugging him violently off, Shion wrinkled his nose, his next statement marring the irreplaceable atmosphere they had established just moments ago, one that he knew, and hoped that would never surround the three of them, not again in this lifetime.

"You smell gross." Lute's expression was utterly priceless – he was clearly combating against the desire to laugh, and the moral chasteness dictating that he, by all means _should_ admonish Shion for his rude outburst. On the other hand, Haku laughed and captured the collar of his pale purple shirt and elevated it to the apex of his nose.

"Don't blame me, blame commander Gaia. He gave me a horse and told me to tame it within the week." Shion shot him a dubious glance. Haku was the one who cowarded out when they were fighting the Gladius soldiers, camouflaging himself behind Lute and only caring to aim at those who scattered through their wall of protection. Though, even despite his inflated self-claim, Shion had to admit that Haku was quick on his feet when he escorted the king's carriage….

"You mean Rapier's legendary knight commander, Gaia _personally_ gave you a horse for you to tame?" Shion rolled his eyes, _Lute, you'd already met the guy, so stop acting like he's some unattainable god. _

Puffing out his chest, Haku exclaimed triumphantly, "Yup! He's amazing!." Retracting for a couple seconds, his voice became softer, interlaced with more of a defeated adagio, "But he's got quite the temper, and needs a serious eyebrow trimming."

Lute had soundlessly gulped down a cup of water, and at Haku's words engaged in a furious fit of uncontrollable coughing. Somehow managing to utter a few broken phrases, he said, his fists pumping rapidly against his chest, "E-eye brow trimming?! Haku, don't you dare subject a horse to that kind of torture."

Haku whistled the lighthearted sound a reminiscent of Kanon's voice just one night previous. "Wow Lute, it sounds like you have experience in the matter!"

Shion lowered his eyes, his transparent gold lashes dispensing a ticklish sensation upon his cheeks. For the first time in days, he recalled, he had felt like laughing, true, genuine laugher that released all the tension that he'd desperately caged within his heart. Smiling faintly, he thanked, thanked the heavens for bestowing upon him to invaluable friends, ones that he knew would stick by his side for the rest of his life, no matter how long the years may be, or how short they would soon become.

"Are you going to name him?" Haku pondered for a moment, his finger rhythmically stroking the defined curve of his jaw.

"Dragon. That sounds like a suitable name _for a horse._"

"Back, back?"

The diaphanous rays of the sun blinded Shion, propelling him to raise his hand desultorily to shield himself from the brilliant rays. His attempts were deemed ineffective; however, what he did discover in awe was that the light rendered his hand completely transparent, the only source of color remaining under his skin was the pale turquoise veins extended intricately into his fingers. He had never noticed this particular happening before, so, as his curious brain dictated for the next few seconds, he stared, petrified at his palms…

They – himself and Kanon were close, ineffably close to the gates of Gladius. Due to the rigorous schedule they so impeccably followed for the past week or so, they had avoided all possible sources of turbulence and arrived, completely unharmed outside the palace. Thankfully, the snow that obscured their path melted completely, and the first effervescent signals of spring had blossomed alongside the reviving foliage. Shion couldn't quite determine whether or not the weather in Rapier had also improved, for their home country possessed an uncannily unpredictable irritability for changing the conditions of their skies on a whim.

"Shion!" Shion turned his head swiftly to the source of his interruption, and narrowed his eyes when she threw a snowball directly in his face.

"What was that for?" he protested, though his voice hadn't encompassed any sort of indignation, and he almost smiled, smiled at their finally normal interaction. However, a part of him couldn't help but wonder, wonder if she had completely discarded that night, the night when she confessed her adoration for him…

Though, it wasn't in his place to judge, for even if her heart was indeed feeble, she still had immensely more courage than him.

"For not paying attention!" She wobbled on her horse, and Shion was just about to reach out when she slapped the animals' side, causing an odd sound to spring from its lips. Turning to him victoriously, she smiled, her expression brilliant.

"How do you know I wasn't paying attention?" there was defiance, _challenge _in her profound grey irises. Inclining her head towards him, Shion watched in admiration as her hair spilled languidly over her shoulders, the motion enchanting as the ethereal flutter of a pixie's wings.

"Then what was I saying a moment earlier?" Oh Kanon, how ignorant of you to underestimate his intelligence…

"The spell to reverse time." He replied, his eyebrows arching, "How the pauper girl used to say 'back back' when she would want to change something of the present."

She looked away from him, and Shion felt slightly, just slightly forlorn at her actions. "Doesn't anything ever escape you?"

"From you?" a ghost of a smile crept up his features, "No."

Her eyes widened, the tornado of her hair whipping vibrantly as she stared at him. Her gaze comprised of a mystical quality, like she could shatter the imperishable chrysalis that he enclosed himself with, and seek the truth within his soul. In a flash of genius, his cheeks reddened as he comprehended the implications of his half-hearted message, and he opened his lips, desperately wishing something distracting would come out…

"We're here." Adverting his eyes from her, he affixed his gaze on the looming towards of Gladius castle, its elongated gates more majestic, more opulent than Shion had recalled. The intricate black metal intertwined itself in imbricated patterns, of various shapes of roses and lilacs, the innocence of those flowers contrasting against the darkness of their journey. He hopped off his horse, his boots meeting the brick textured ground in an inaudible thump.

Kanon appeared to have surveyed her surroundings only briefly before enquiring, "How are we supposed to get in?"

He turned towards her, astounded to see that she held on to her horse in a tight clasp, resting her head languorously on its thick brown fur. "Remember the letter Iraval sent?"

Her eyes sparkled in understanding, her euphonious soprano higher as she consented, "The King's seal!"

Nodding satisfactorily, Shion retrieved the envelope, neatly folded in the depths of his belt and walked towards the nearest guard. Musting all the regal intimidation he'd witnessed on commander Gaia, he spoke, his voice resonating broad across the castle square,

"We're here on invitation by His Majesty." Deciding it far too risky to claim Iraval's name, Shion retained the king's name. Chatoyant eyes scanned the wax seal for a few moments, each second passing increasing Shion's heartbeat in an unbearable accelerando – what if, the King was dead? Then his lie would become instantly nullified, and perhaps he and Kanon would have to face the entire Gladius army on the spot…

"You may enter." An intangible weight suddenly lifted off his chest, Shion stepped back as the gates creaked their protest, awakened from their slumber. As he squinted, he realized in awe that there was a visible coat of rust ornamenting the black metal, almost as if they hadn't been polished in several years. _That would indicate that the inner turmoil of Gladius was more severe than he had anticipated. _

Lowering his head briefly to the guard, he beckoned with his fingers towards Kanon, and proceeded towards the castle when he heard her lilt footsteps resound behind him. Before the start of their journey, commander Gaia had given Shion a brief description of the land structure of Gladius capital, his words recalled by Shion with absolute, pristine lucidity. The armory Iraval spoke of was on the east of the palace grounds, erected with its own stony exterior in with lavish crystalline windows and boundless rows of expensively carved marble statues. Shion couldn't help but for a bitter taste in his mouth – despite the rising poverty rates within the kingdom, the Gladius royal family still managed to sustain such an impressive home.

He had, approximately two hours before Iraval's arrival, so depending on how many cannons they concealed, he would only have but minutes to dismantle every one of them. Unfortunately for Shion, the nature of the mission completely distracted him from the boundless array of efflorescence before him, the vestiges of floral scent bouncing off his skin, almost as if he was immune to it all…

Kanon stole an ephemeral glace towards Shion's face, his princely features knitted in concentration. She stifled a sigh, and jumped when he asked, his tone atypically insouciant,

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Gladius castle looks beautiful, doesn't it?"

Leading them surreptitiously towards the east gates, Shion's gaze darted with the intensity of a hummingbird's wings, careful to keep the two of them out of sight, out of suspicion. "Yeah, King Ando could give his castle a makeover like this. Maybe then he'll be able to hold more summits."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Shion, you know that's not my point."

The corners of his lips curled, and his voice was soft, tender as he spoke. "It's too bad we're here on a mission instead of on a trip, isn't it?"

She didn't immediately respond. Melodic chirpings, as if mystically on cue traversed into his ears, and he raised his eyes to witness the graceful flight of sparrows, their earth-shaded wings gliding with ease, shattering the blue skies with dynamic trails of life. Almost drowned out by their song, Kanon's voice had been small, small and longing,

"Yeah, it really is."

Before Shion could release her of her sorrow, he stopped dead in his tracks. There it was, amidst the sea of marble statues, a colossal stone building of the most spiritless grey, Gladius's infamous armory. Shion gritted his teeth, his stomach churning as he saw, clearly through the rainbow shaded window glass an alarming amount of cannons, the same cannons that nearly wiped out his entire circle of friends, not to mention the king and the commander…

"This is it." Turning to Kanon, his topaz eyes burned with flames of resolution, their fires manifesting his supressed rage, courage and his irrevocable desire for balance. Discarding the mantle of his horse, he placed his hands firmly across Kanon's slim shoulders, his heart no longer embarrassed at their tantalizing proximity.

"Are you ready, Kanon?"

Dove grey mirroring his convictions, she nodded eagerly; then almost as if deciding it not enough, she added, her voice devoid of any iotas of uncertainty.

"More ready than I've been for anything."

**Chapter 9 – A Nightingale's Song **

_Few years back: _

_ "Listen, future knights. The most important rule to remember as a warrior is to always face your enemy head on."_

_ "To turn away from your enemy could mean the difference life and death." _

_ "Because the moment you turn your back towards them, they'll slice you in half." _

The armory was, simply put, stunning.

Not that Shion had a particular affinity for weapons, in fact, he detested the very thought of fighting; however, even despite his reluctance, he had to admit that the finely polished canons were extraordinary to behold. Their smooth surfaces possessed a iridescent quality, and if he ventured to perceive his reflection, he would see a perfect image of himself upon said weapons of destruction.

When he first entered the large chambers, he was reminded of one of the cathedrals Lute had shown him several months ago. It had been one of those unpredictable holidays granted by the Academy, and Lute had chosen then to bring Shion to the orphanage he was raised. Apparently, since the church they inhabited had been forsaken by its minister, it was granted by the king privileges to a nearby children's shelter, one that was ruthlessly destroyed by a furious storm a few winters ago. He remembered the fresh scent of grassy earth that enveloped his senses, and the exuberant children that surrounded grand building, each laughing to their heart's content. He remembered how Lute had immediately gone to play with them, abandoning Shion to explore the church to his own devices.

Luckily for him that day, he had brought along a book to rescue him of his overwhelming boredom. Entering the cathedral seemed like the correct course of action, so naturally, he settled down in one of the first floor benches and read, relishing in the hollow majesty bestowed by the stain glassed windows, and the effeminate glance of a statue as she, in her glorious immobility bore a cup of solid gold.

That memory had been long buried in the depths of his conscience; however, the resemblance between Gladius's armory and the images of Lute's childhood was uncanny, leading Shion to wonder whether or not that the building he and Kanon stood had been previously a church. It definitely would provide adequate explanation towards the deities that bordered its circumference…

At first glance, Shion had ascertained that the armory harbored at most twenty cannons, with large barrels of gunpowder located at the four corners of the room. The space comprised of an eerie tone – the shades of grey, black and white chilled him to his very core. The color combination didn't merely _demand death, hell, it probably anticipated it._

"Shion, are these the god cannons Okinu was referring to?" Kanon tentatively lifted a heavy coating of cloth, her fingers obstinate as she glared hatefully at the weapon. Until a moment ago, Shion had almost forgotten her presence, and as he walked slowly over to her, a brilliant plan started to weave itself into his mind – with Kanon's intelligence, they could probably increase the efficiency of dismantling those things, if only she knew how to…

"Kanon, I'm going to need your help." Swiftly drawing his blade, Shion elevated the covering completely off and pointed with its tip to the cannon's thick rubber center. "Cut a hole in this part, but not too visible."

She nodded, her expression perplexed, making her next enquiry all the more foreseeable. "I don't see how they're different from different cannons, and yet they almost killed all of us in one shot…"

Sighing, Shion completed the first blow, cutting pristinely an invisible incision in the center of the cannon, separating its soft center from its harder alternative. "The cannons aren't really that different, but the bombs are. They're supposed to explode once in the cannon itself, that's the middle part we're supposed to cut though, igniting an illusion of a sun while the second blow fires. The remains of the bomb then separate into half a dozen of smaller, more condensed bombs that scatter everywhere all at once. There's really no predicting where they end up."

She shook her head in disgust, her rich curls bouncing ethereally at her every movement. "Doesn't that mean that whoever's tending the cannon could potentially die themselves?" She kicked her boot against one other consecutive cannon, her docile features contorted in evident fury. Truth be told, Shion was immensely grateful that she didn't beg on the exact mechanisms on how they were processed, as he wasn't 100% proficient on the subject himself.

"Yeah, that's the idea."

Stealing one last glance at their genteel surfaces, she said to him, almost appearing thankful to finally advert her eyes.

"I'll take the ones on the right."

Shion couldn't quite recall the contents of their conversation next, though he was pretty sure they consisted of either academics, literature of mindless, frivolous gossip. What he was certain of was how both of them avoided the topic of _them, and where their relationship would lead to after both of them got out of that cursed place. _Despite how imperative the nature of their mission was, Shion couldn't help but feel true glee, as if they were on a languid vacation with one another instead of possibly sparking a national war. At the time, he couldn't understand his underlining tranquility, one that he mistook for peace, instead of the foreboding quiescence of a historically unsurpassed, monstrous storm.

He had just finished dismantling the forth cannon of his share when foreign voices reverberated outside the armory's door, each imploring unanimously in reverence;

_Commander. _

Shion's head shot up, his gaze quickly darting towards Kanon, satisfied to learn that she had drawn her sword, her resolute features completely devoid of trepidation. Her courage was admirable; however, her combating stance was completely unnecessary, as Iraval wanted Shion, and Shion alone.

The grand marble doors squeaked, and before the figure completely unearthed itself, Shion whispered frantically to her, praying that he too possessed some of Okinu's talent in rapid-fire speech.

"Put that back." His missive wasn't a suggestion, but a command of the highest authority.

Gritting her teeth begrudgingly at him, Kanon brutally sliced her sword back into its sheath, the unmistakable sound of clanking metal drowned out by Iravals booming laughter as he strode, in wide steps into the center of the room, his bead-like irises scanning Shion's face with demonic interest.

"Well well" His whiskers appeared longer, even more repugnant than Shion had remembered. It had been a short month since their last encounter; however, Iraval seemed to ceaselessly aged decades within days, the wrinkles ornamenting his forehead more profound, more elaborate; and the dark penumbras underneath his eyes augmented, almost like the powder Okinu applied redundantly every morning. He looked as if possessed, haunted by ghosts of wrath and envy, of hate and pity, of every single sin out there that Shion managed to pinpoint and embody upon him.

"I see you've brought a friend with you, Shion of Rapier." Crystallized topaz glared maliciously at Iraval as the commander washed his hungry gaze over Kanon, who to Shion's appreciation didn't succumb to his eyes, but instead raised her chin in indignation, the majesty flaming her irises truly divine.

"And I see you've shrivelled like a dying prune." If Shion hadn't been watching intently at Iraval, he would have definitely missed the look of sheer bewilderment on his repulsive features. Mentally congratulating Kanon, he stepped forward, his fingers aching towards the roped handle of his sword.

"What do you want, Iraval." The man in question retuned to Shion with amusement, and before he knew it, Iraval bowed with practiced perfection, the graceful arc of his fingers marred by the distasteful onyx circling his middle finger.

"Accept my invitation to duel, Shion of Rapier." His eyes glistened maroon, causing Shion to cringe inwardly at the frightening color, "Or else you and your pretty friend die here and now."

Mystically at the sound of his voice, a colossal sea of soldiers appeared outside the window, their swords pointing in unison at the armory entrance. Desperately repressing the bile that inflamed his throat, Shion assumed his most believable exterior of nonchalance as he spoke, the tremors of his voice _just barely _detectible.

"You're sick."

Iraval laughed, the acoustically unappealing noise coarsely adjourned between tenor and bass. "So many phrases you could select for your last words, and yet you choose to insult me, young Shion."

Kanon furrowed her delicate brows, and before Shion respond, Iraval had already drawn his blade and was charging towards him with blinding promptness. Retreating with difficulty, Shion's back collapsed brutally against the back wall, and barely dodged the sword that plummeted against the stone, giving Shion just enough time to draw his own.

He had but seconds to position himself when Iraval turned, fury manifested his face a fouler representation than Shion had ever witnessed. Scowling and swearing under his breath, Gladius' knight commander once again darted towards Shion, the silvery, luminous blade of a celestial spark, its acute tip nearing with rapid velocity towards Shion's neck. Interjecting by seconds, he batted off his sword with the handle of his own, knocking Iraval sideways and off balance.

The illusive victory dissembled Shion, for he couldn't determine the exact flow of what transpired next. As Iraval had fallen, he appeared to have slashed his weapon against Shion's, a futile attempt at something indecipherable. Then, just milliseconds later a searing pain emerged on his side, and Shion tumbled backwards, clutching his leg and the protruding short dagger, its end drawing countless streams of liquid crimson down the curve of his thigh.

Wiping his mouth with the fine material of his velvet jacket, Iraval smirked diabolically, the animal finally revealing behind his human façade. "Shion," he said, "You don't really reckon that I'll fight exactly like last time, do you?"

Shion was just about to tower over when Kanon scurried over to him, apprehension emanating from her every cell as she sustained his weight entirely. Absorbing her emollient floral scent, he had just the time to yank the blade out of his leg before throwing it forcefully at Iraval, who to his dismay captured it flawlessly between his fingers.

"You're just as they've rumored, Shion. You depend heavily on memory and not enough on intuition. No wonder you're not a knight, _maybe it's because you're unworthy to become one."_

Abandoning benevolence, Shion stepped forward, only to be pulled swiftly back by Kanon's lissome figure. "Shion, you need my help" she hissed, her grey irises scanning worriedly his bleeding wound, "You can't fight him alone, not in this condition."

Before she could continue, he raised a hand to interject, his voice powerful, audible enough for Iraval's benefit. "This is between me and him, and even if I die here, I'll finish this battle."

In mock respect, Iraval desultorily clapped his hands together, his tone profane, vulgar as he spoke. "Well then, it looks like the Knights of Rapier do have some backbone after all."

A phantom smile crept its way sluggishly to the corners of Shion's mouth, his pupils becoming more etiolate by the second. "It's fickle of you to change opinions so quickly, Iraval."

Lights flashing, tables crashing. Iraval advanced on Shion once more, engaging him in a ferocious dance of mortality, his every movement countered to excellence by Shion's own. Once in a while, when he would face the visual environment Kanon inhabited, he would regain strength, slightly more than he fostered few moments earlier. They would spur his success just seconds, before Iraval would once again dominated the upper hand, his sword dancing quicker, more vivaciously than Shion's. More attacks came, and soon Shion's drawback became more painful to endure, the blood escaping his leg trickling down, marring the fabrics of his trousers…

On the verge of beleaguer, Shion seized a half-destroyed table and slammed it in Iraval's direction, the wide wooden surface temporarily distorting his sight. However, what he couldn't anticipate was the blade that sliced it quickly in half, and the same blade that pierced through the palm of his right hand, its cold and senseless surface slicing his delicate flesh. Succumbing, Shion barely had the time to switch his sword to his left before he screamed in excruciating agony, and widened his eyes in abhorrence when the knight commander licked off the remnants of his blood from his weapon.

"Let's see how you handle having your entire right side dismembered." Metal flashing once more, a wide gash opened on the muscles of Shion's arm, the grey of his uniform quickly transforming into devilish rubies, glistening derisively at him. Another, another, and soon his entire arm had been ruined with streaks of red, his blood flooding ruthlessly the air with the fresh scent of salt and copper.

His hearted thundered, and his breath was such an erratic cacophony that he could barely stand. In a hurricane of adrenaline, Shion hastened forward, threatening to tear Iraval's heart open in one last, magnificent blow…even if he couldn't, he could at least buy Kanon some invaluable time to escape this pandemonium, even if it meant embracing his ultimate death.

He didn't succeed, but he did manage to take Iraval by surprise and knock him against the apex of a nearby canon, his balance tripping. His left wrist, he realized amidst the chaos had been terribly sprained, and so he abandoned his sword entirely and tackled his opponent, ignoring the nebulous cloud consuming his already blurred mind as he screamed, with herculean effort at the very top of his lungs;

"Kanon! There's a passage behind the tapestry to your left! Run while you still can!" The inconsistent arrangement had striken him as odd from the moment he entered the armory, propelling him to faintly recall an early rumor that circulated across Knight Academy – whoever was lucky enough to truly enter the Gladius castles would enter a labyrinth of passageways. Everything was inexplicably connected, every single room, every single building, even cavern… Run, he begged, _run before he kills me, before the Gladius troops outside come in and kill you too._

From his angle, he couldn't tell whether or not Kanon had received his message. In a fit of fury, Iraval positioned himself on him, his fist descending harshly upon Shion's eye, neglecting his entire right visual field in an instant. He desperately grasped the air, his fingers sweeping the walls, and when he touched something that resembled the shape of an arrow yanked it from its confines and stuck it in Iraval's shoulder, missing his neck by inches. He was given just seconds to discharge before receiving a brutal kick in the stomach, sending him flying sideways, hitting his back against the thumping entrance.

Blood, streams of blood flew from his lips as he coughed vigorously, his obstructed vision no longer able to discern Kanon's whereabouts. Painstakingly adverting his head, he made out with a barely beating, but nevertheless elated heart that the large tapestry had been torn down, revealing a partially opened doorway leading into perpetual darkness. Sighing in relief, he actually felt calm as Iraval advanced on him, laughing at his pathetic posture with every nerve in his body.

"Shion of Rapier, what can you do now?" Shion must have sufficed a lifetime of astonishment when in the next second, Kanon struck him from behind, her double swords clearly overpowering his singular one. Their dance this time was quicker, more well defined, and less unorganized; however, even via his barely movable body, he noticed that he was faster, far more adroit than her, and it was minutes after their first engagement when he knocked her swords out of her hands and pointed his own directly before her forehead.

Shion's mind screamed at her, his mouth coughing up more blood that drenched the center of his chest. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his conscience, he realized in awe that he had forgotten his gun entirely – if he received its aid from the beginning, wouldn't they face an entirely different outlook, one that was actually in their favor? Cursing his incompetence, Shion dragged the left side of his body up, leaning vulnerably against the doors as Iraval slowly walked over, yanking Kanon by her neck.

"Well, it looks like you've lost completely, Shion and…Kanon, was it?" Shion inhaled heavily as Iraval sensually trailed his finger down Kanon's cheek, earning a murderous glance in response. He chuckled, maroon cunningness flashing within his eyes as he blew into her face, his wrinkles made deeper, more voluminous by her obvious display of contempt.

"Tell you what, _darling._" He sounded like a lowly vagabond instead of a prestigious knight commander. "If you stay and be good while I kill your boyfriend, I'll let you off easy." Despite the fury burning Shion's veins at that very moment, he couldn't help but grasp that last glimmer of hope that somehow, if Kanon relented, she would survive this horror.

Out of some miracle, Kanon's eyes suddenly met his, her gaze hopeless, yet hoping. He begged, begged earnestly with her, investing all his faith in her to accept Iraval's offer, to stop fighting and to save herself while she still had the energy to…

Seconds droned on as if centuries, and Shion was just about to surrender when her expression changed. She smiled, her smile irrevocably, ineffably radiant as she mouthed, her voice soft, caring, tender.

"I'll be good."

Shion nearly bit his own tongue in half when Iraval placed a soft kiss on Kanon's cheek before allowing her to step away. Resuming his previous hateful look, he balanced the angle of his vision between the two young knights before him, drinking in their despondence for one last time before one of them would fall for eternity.

"Shion, any last words?" he grinned, his whiskers shifting in the shadows, almost conflating into its screeching blackness. The entire apparatus was laughable, and Shion knew that his words should be directed towards Kanon, that's what a chivalrous knight and dear friend _should do_. How he longed to tell her that he loved her, that if given the chance that there would be no other girl he'd rather spend the rest of his life with…somehow, instead, the words that escaped his tried lips were:

"You can go to hell."

It was then when Shion's vision sharpened – the world slowed, the dissipating colors became at once the utmost lucidity. All attainable emotions swarmed into his mind in a splendid symphony of woebegone cries – the way that Iraval sliced his sword through the air in a crystalline arc, the way Kanon's body suddenly emerged in his line of sight, her back towards their mutual enemy. Her unbelievably serene smile towards him, speaking of the adoration that now he could never return; the manner in which her brows narrowed ethereally before she dropped, her blood splashing down alike hell's regime unveiled.

…

…

…

_And then…there were two._

Her lifeless head landed on his shoulder, rendering him utterly immobile as her eyes became glassy, transparent, like broken orbs deprived of rain. Her body, although retaining lingering warmth became quickly cold, her limbs flaccid, like the arms of a stringless puppet. A sharp pain overtaking Shion's mind, he stared, stared unmoving at the deep gash that reddened Kanon's back, her broken tissues and veins spurring the last evidence of her life force…

He…just stared, like it was his only method towards salvation.

…

He didn't remember what had come over him, but his periphery became uncannily clear. Filtered between his lashes was Iraval's horrified expression, and seizing this invaluable opportunity, Shion flashed the gun hidden in his belt and fired, multiple times in succession at the pit of his enemy's stomach, relishing in the way his face contorted in pain, and the gurgling sounds he dispensed every time a bullet would penetrate his flesh.

…

He fell. Gently repositioned Kanon on the ground, Shion ripped the extra bullets from his belt, and had ignored the searing pain in his pierced hand as he reloaded and fired, continuously at Iraval, at every part of his body until his blood stained the carpets with furious roses of the deepest crimson. He didn't stop, couldn't bring himself to stop until Iraval screeched in pain, begging Shion for mercy, mercy that he wouldn't deserve, not even in the depths of hell, where he truly belonged.

Breathing quickening, Shion shook the devils of his mind out of the way, and for once realized that he had been crying. Though, for the life of him, he couldn't remember since when, and for once, it didn't matter. The crowd outside the armory appeared to have noticed the irregularities, and were already starting to question, some even calling out Iraval's name.

A part, a little part of Shion wanted to just die, to die there with her, to bury himself in the darkness, never again encountering daylight. _She died, she died because of him, and he would carry that burden, the soul wrenching burden of never able to say those cursed words, of never being able to tell her that he loved her, more than anything, more than anyone. _

_ With her gone, could he truly find happiness?_

_ No. _

_ …_

_ He didn't deserve to live…_

_ …but she deserved a proper burial. _

In an instant spark of genius, Shion tumbled over to the end corner, kicking and shifting until he managed to knock over a barrel of gunpowder. Grasping the powder in his hands, he cringed the numbing pain and created a surreptitious that stemmed to the center of the room, long enough to secure their escapade. Retrieving the letter of invitation, the cursed parchment that commenced this tragedy, he stuffed it against the ground, against the sword Iraval had dropped just moments ago.

With his gun, he fired, repeatedly, his eyes watching intently on the sparks that increased in intensity every time his bullet would graze the stained metal blade. He no longer cared how pathetic he looked, his concentration unwavering at the clinks his gun would form, the coil that his wrist would sustain every time it released those small bronze vessels. They gave him purpose, fueled his desire to survive, to survive for her sake.

Finally, a fire ignited the corners of the envelope, melting the sealed wax of Gladius' royal seal with admirable ease. He exhaled, heavily before limping towards Kanon's body, and lifted her up just in time to hear Iraval's last glimpse of laughter,

"You win, but at what price?"

Deciding it futile to waste his time with this monster, Shion waited, waited for the fire to reach the gunpowder trail midway before stepping into the dark passageway. When he and…when he was dismantling the cannons, he had realized in horror that they were preloaded, which meant if one of them misplaced even a finger, the entire armory, perhaps the entire east wing of Gladius castle might diminish into flames. However, that would also mean that their feared weapons would disappear all at once, in a grandiose explosion of unparalleled exaltation….

Descending into the shadows, Shion closed his eyes, allowing the path to guide him, him and _his _Kanon to the deepest corners of the earth, the booming fires of the vanished armory lilt music to his ears.

_Perhaps even more enjoyable than the song of a nightingale. _

**Epilogue – A Symphony of Flowers **


End file.
